Black Suicide
by Zelia Theb
Summary: Now a private investigator, Yusuke is reunited with his friends when Koenma makes an offer he can't refuse: making amends with a deceased loved one in return for investigating a string of unsolved supernatural mysteries. FilmNoir PostSeries ShounenAi
1. Prologue

**-- This chapter was updated 9-7-2008. --**

This fic is intended to be episode-ish. There are arcs and chapter length will vary.

This next statement is intended for fans, and not meant to be a warning: while not really a romance, there is boy-love.

This may conflict with the actual ending of the manga (the "where are they now" stuff). There are elements of the manga in here, but since I have not read the end of the manga (I am waiting for the English translation), I'm going to say that this is mainly based off of the anime.

**Update:** I am in the midst of fixing errors in the story. Consider any chapters before **Nightmare Nightclub: Act II** (this chapter was uploaded the same day as this update) that do not have an update date listed at the top old versions. There may be errors. Anything spotted in corrected versions, please bring to my attention, thanks!

**Warnings:** This fic is rated appropriately.

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**Disclaimer:** _Yu Yu Hakusho_ © Yoshihiro Togashi. Black Suicide © Zelia Theb.

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**Black Suicide**

A _Yu Yu Hakusho_ Fan-Fiction

By Zelia Theb

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**Prologue**

Several years have passed since the last tournament. Yusuke Urameshi was no longer wet behind the ears; he was an established detective. Alright, perhaps not _so_ established. He hasn't had a case in weeks, and his landlady was pushing him for some rent money.

At the age of twenty-five, Yusuke was still as charming and boyish as ever, or rather, he would be had he taken care to shave the stubble off of his face each morning. His life was a wreck; his longtime childhood friend Keiko had left him the night before their wedding four years ago, sticking him with the loss of the deposits and the responsibility of notifying everyone. He hadn't spoken to Hiei since he left the Demon World, and Kurama had only bothered to send him letters now and then from college overseas. Kuwabara was the only one he still saw from time to time; he and his sister would meet him at a small restaurant not far from his office and talk about the various events of the week. Kuwabara had graduated from college, but was having a hard time landing a successful job. Lately, Yusuke found himself thinking of Shizuru, and developed just the tiniest of crushes on her. He neglected to say much though, as he was just a deadbeat and probably was still on the rebound from Keiko.

His office was typical of noir films revolving around private detectives. The wooden flooring was dark and not all that smooth, the sickly yellow light cast deep shadows everywhere, and the furniture was mostly left over from the previous tenant. His desk was warped from humidity, making it a pain for him to open a drawer just to get a stapler. The finish was cracking here and there, and his desktop was nearly stripped of the covering since he would often pick at it with his nails out of boredom.

Yusuke tipped back in his chair, eyeing the newspaper on his desk. The headline was bold, and read:

_**Police Suspect New Super Drug in Foul Play at Mansion**_

Drugs…that was one of many reasons that Keiko had left him. When he had returned, he experimented with every new thing on the street. It eased the depression of having to leave his destiny and return to Keiko. She didn't know at first, but slowly he would become irate with her and they would fight, and the fight would inevitably lead him back to the clubs to medicate his problems. Four days before their union, Keiko stumbled upon a stash of unmarked pills and marijuana, and dwelled upon it until the last minute before leaving him for good.

Several months later, she contacted him again. She had tried to console him after his mother was murdered, but he only ignored her and contemplated pushing his limits with narcotics even further. But then, two days after Atsuko's death, he was at his favorite hangout, and everything changed. An acquaintance of his had just slipped him two more pills in exchange for his dwindling en. As Yusuke was about to indiscreetly consume them, he had overheard some rumored yakuza fellows speaking of "the hit." Apparently, his mother had been dating the head of their clan, and had voiced the need to "get out." It was then that Yusuke felt he needed to deliver justice to his mother's death, since the police would not deal with the gangs. Thus he began his first case.

It started off with him using his contacts to conduct some sly sleuthing. It inevitably turned into an old-school brawl that led to the arrest of several yakuza members. Yusuke had regained some confidence then, and had done such a great job that he opened up his own private investigation office. Word on the street of his bust had gotten out, and for nearly thirty-six months he had a reputable streak of luck when it came to solving cases. However, his savings were shrinking again. Kuwabara even had to pick up the lunch tab the other day, and _he_ was unemployed.

His last case was an old woman looking for her grandson. Yusuke found him at school, in his scheduled class. The woman was merely going senile, and even wrote the check wrong. If Yusuke had complained, he would have appeared to be an ungrateful bastard.

But now…

The door to his office creaked open, inviting the wind from outside to fold the newspaper at its corners. Yusuke did not bother to look up quickly, but the visitor managed to gain his attention.

"Detective Urameshi," the voice with a tinge of tenor said. "I was happy to find that you were still in the business, and was hoping you could assist me just one last time." Still in the business? One last time? That voice…it was so familiar! Yusuke quickly did a scan through his thoughts of past clients, but could not figure out who had such a voice.

Raising his gaze, he first fell upon black boots, then a brown trench coat. This client was certainly tall, not to mention rich from the quality of his clothing. It was then that he saw his face; commanding honey eyes and tender coffee colored hair falling ear-length upon slender fair-skinned cheeks. It was unusual how much the man reminded him of Shizuru.

"Koenma?" Yusuke blinked, his attention drawn totally on his former employer and friend.

The Prince of Hell glanced at him, pondering if Yusuke was still just as strong as he was when he was a teenager, or if the drugs he had read about in his file had forever weakened him. Koenma shook the thought from his head, and went straight to the point, stating, "I'll pay you more than enough to just buy yourself a new razor, Yusuke. The question is, are you willing to take on the job?"

"And what is this _job_?" Yusuke inquired, remembering that Koenma would often leave out crucial details when it came to missions.

"What else could it be, Yusuke?" the deity mused, placing his hands deep into the pockets of his coat. "We've got a string of supernatural occurrences that need looking at. Naturally I thought of you."

"Uh huh…" remarked Yusuke, annoyed. He stood from his chair and scornfully asked, "And where were you over three years ago?"

"Three years ago?" the brunet perked an eyebrow upward. "Yusuke, you know I couldn't have allowed you to speak to your mother. She was a murder victim, and there are strict cosmic laws about that sort of thing." Yusuke pounded his fists on the table in a small temper-tantrum, prompting Koenma to say, "Believe me. She wanted to see you, but she couldn't until her spirit was put to rest. _YOU_ helped with that, Yusuke. I brought her to my office once she was free of her inner spiritual turmoil, and informed her about _everything_."

"Oh, so why can't I see her now?" Yusuke chided in return. It was of a great relief to him that he had saved his mother's spirit from eternal suffering; however, he still needed to make verbal amends with her.

"Actually, Yusuke" Koenma said, "if you let me finish, I can fill you in on all the details."

"Fine."

"Good," the prince nodded. "After her release from torment, I made an exception and gave Atsuko a job in the Spirit World offices. She often spoke of you, but despite her requests, no one was ever allowed to show her how you've been living. My father recently decreed that upon completion of this case, Yusuke, you may return to Spirit World to speak with her. But only if you finish the mission."

"Now _that's_ the kind of offer that I've just been _waiting_ to hear!" Yusuke shouted, a little too giddy for the morbidness surrounding the deal. He finished his celebrative gestures and asked, "And there's money in it for me, right?"

"Yes, Yusuke," Koenma smiled. "It's nice to see you haven't changed much. You'll be heading to Akuryou city." The young man took his left hand out of his pocket and produced an envelope. "This is your train ticket and map. I've already booked a four-bedroom suite at the encircled hotel for you, and will pay your landlords until your return. The money doesn't come out of the case reward ei-"

"Four bedroom suite?" Yusuke pondered aloud. "Not that I mind a suite and all, but isn't that a little excessive?"

Koenma smirked even more, pressing the limits of his facial muscles. Perhaps Yusuke needed to brush up on his deduction skills. He chuckled, "Of course not, unless of course, you don't mind sharing a bed with two guys and an extremely annoyed demon."

_To Be Continued…_

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Akuryou city is fictional, as far as I know. I am trying very hard not to make this a spoiler fic, so keep that in mind. Also consider that it is slightly AU, as all fan-fiction is (Since fan-fiction never happened).

No official pairings yet, if at all. Romance is not the center of this story, or at least not this particular arc.

Don't forget to review! Thanks for reading!


	2. The Statue of Bleeding Tears: Act I

**Disclaimer:** _Yu Yu Hakusho_ © Yoshihiro Togashi. Black Suicide © Zelia Theb.

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**Black Suicide**

A _Yu Yu Hakusho_ Fan-Fiction

By Zelia Theb

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Yusuke, now twenty-five, has just reunited with his former employer, the Prince of Spirit World, Koenma. He gave Yusuke an offer that he simply couldn't refuse, for both emotional and monetary reasons, and now Yusuke is about to embark upon a journey reminiscent of his teenage years…

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The Statue of Bleeding Tears: Act I

The hotel was _spectacular_. It was mainly filled with rich businessmen and overseas-fat-cats, going about their affairs in both the commercial and extra-marital sense. Yusuke was…out of place, although he had taken his client's advice and shaved his face.

Yusuke took his single bag and luggage carrier to the desk, and whipped out the map and instructions from the pockets of his raincoat. The room was listed under one 'Kasou N'Tabo'. Such an alias was unusually indiscreet, but Yusuke shrugged it off and let the hotel staff carry his belongings up to the room, putting their tip on the hotel tab. He hadn't eaten a good meal in days, and since Koenma, or rather, this 'Kasou N'Tabo', was paying for everything, he paid a visit to the restaurant adjacent to the hotel lobby.

Sufficiently satisfied for the time being, the detective finally took his keycard and made his way to the tenth floor suite. Even the hallways were ornate; his shoes barely made any sound on the plush midnight carpeting. It didn't take overly long for him to find the room; there were only four suites on this floor, and his was the second door to the left of the elevator.

A smile crossed his face when his ears picked up on the familiar gruff voice of his longtime friend Kuwabara from beyond the door. He was talking animatedly with another person; had the bellhop misplaced his luggage? Yusuke quickly put the keycard into the door, waiting for the tiny diode on the handle to click green, and then pushed the door open.

Not only did luggage stand before him, but the tall carrot Kuwabara, the lithe rose Kurama, and the dark flame Hiei. Kuwabara had stopped his arguing with Hiei, and quickly ran over to Yusuke, greeting him with a friendly squeeze.

"Hey man!" Kuwabara pointed out to Yusuke, "Look who's here!"

"Yusuke," Kurama smiled, green eyes closing and body bending into a polite bow, "It's wonderful to see you."

Hiei; dressed uncharacteristically in an ebon trench coat; was far less verbose in his greeting, and merely flashed his eyes at the man and stated, "Detective."

The four of them hadn't changed much. Hiei's hair was just as wild and untamed as ever, and he still maintained the white ward over his Jagan eye. Kurama, although dressed in wide-legged jeans and a black sweater, had kept the length of his red locks, deciding to keep it tied back in a low tail. He was still his well mannered and handsome self. Kuwabara and Yusuke looked just as they did ten years ago, only a tad more masculine with regards to their jutted features. Gazing upon the quartet, one might have believed that they were back in the early nineties.

"So, Kurama," Yusuke started, taking a seat with the rest of them on the lavishly powder blue furniture in the center of the sitting room, "How's school been? Is it weird being in the 'Ivy League'?"

Kurama placed two fingers near his chin and chuckled, "It's terribly boring! I was delighted to return to Japan and visit my mother. I've been considering leaving the school to pursue other careers, but haven't had the heart to tell her yet."

Kuwabara was still laughing at pun of 'Ivy League', while Hiei remained normally distant from the idle chatter. Yusuke was still intrigued by the fox, wondering just what other occupations would be fitting for super-son Shuichi Minamino. The man inquired, "And just what have you been thinking about, hmm?"

"Oh, Yusuke. You really are too much!" Kurama exclaimed, suppressing another fit of laughter, "My inner self has been quite frisky lately, and after having visited many American museums and European galleries, I am most intrigued."

"_A CAT BURGLAR?_" Yusuke shouted, unprepared for such a shock. Hiei snickered from his place on the chair opposite the sofa. It was a highly amusing career choice. Yusuke contained himself for only a moment, and remarked, "So I guess we would have crossed paths eventually anyway!"

"Only to join forces later, Urameshi!" Kuwabara joked, knowing full well of Yusuke's delinquent past. The four of them laughed together for a few moments, continuing to discuss other criminal deeds and ancient human artifacts, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door.

Cautiously, Yusuke stood and walked to the door, wondering who on Earth it could be. Peering through the peephole, he only caught a fish-eye view of a hooded person on the other side. He called out, "Who is it?" and waited for an answer.

In a soprano voice mocking the sing-song of apparitions and ghosts of movies, the cloaked one replied, "_KaAAaa….soooou…N'ToOOoo……baaaa!_"

"Why the hell would Koenma book a room and not have a key?" he muttered to himself as he opened the door. The visitor burst in, passing Yusuke, and stood before the others. Yusuke shut the door swiftly, annoyed that perhaps he had made his first mistake, and awaited Koenma to reveal himself.

"It's ME!" the girl shouted, tossing the cloak into the air, exposing flowing azure hair, violet eyes, and an utterly adorable pink skirt and halter top combination.

"Should have known…" Hiei murmured, seemingly unthrilled about his agreement to this whole arrangement.

"Botan!" Yusuke and Kuwabara cried in unison. It was nostalgic and refreshing for the detective to be there among his friends again. He had been so lonely the past few years, with only Kuwabara and his sister there to speak to.

The young woman pointed her index finger into the air and remarked, "Bingo, boys! I'm back in action as your assistant for this case, and the rest of them as well!" She giggled, and flared out her hands; materializing a single silver briefcase into one and tray of steaming hot tea with five empty cups on the other. She set both upon a dining table behind the sofa, and began serving everyone tea.

Kurama crossed his legs and took a brief sip from the steaming beverage. He, along with the other three, did not ignore the ferrywoman's statement, and requested more information, asking, "What do you mean by other cases?"

Botan choked slightly; it was in her nature to accidentally give up classified information, and now she had to explain it. She fixed her mess, and informed them, "Well, there are several cases that we believe are all connected somehow. So really, it's just one big case; you boys will have to take it one step at a time!" She then took this opportunity to get to right to the point, and brief them on their first mission.

Botan opened the silver case, which was more of a laptop computer, and then produced several audio-video cables; of which she connected to the nearby television for ease. Switching both electronics on, she took a remote in hand and began her slideshow.

"Case one," she introduced happily, "The Bleeding Statue of Orion!" Botan clicked the remote, and suddenly there was a picture of a very traditional Japanese temple on the screen and monitor. The screen switched again to show a still of a chipped statue. By design, it was definitely foreign; possibly ancient Greek judging from the curves. It was simply a bipedal beast; a mixture of both man and lion; with broad paws, a long tail, and a curly mane surrounding its straight Apollo-like face. It stood idle, with a single arrow in the nearly empty quiver on its back, and a long-bow in its left hand. The statue's skin was in impeccable condition for what it was, despite the minor chips here and there.

"The Hito Temple in the northern section of the city has been shut down and abandoned ever since temple visitors have been turning up dead. Sorry to say boys, but I have to show you this. Don't get freaked out or anything." Botan clicked even more to show some of the bodies that had been found; all of them with claw marks on their body and fearful expressions frozen upon their faces. Botan clicked off the images, and turned to a still of the statue; this time showing the group a tourist photo of the statue weeping crimson tears.

"What the hell?" said Yusuke, now on the edge of his seat between his other allies in order to better examine the screen.

"That's some creepy stuff there, Botan…" Kuwabara observed for the rest of them.

"Hn," Hiei grunted from his chair, "So the statue was given as an anonymous gift, and then soon after people started dying. How cliché."

Botan placed her hands on her hips, and shot an angry glare towards Hiei. She remarked, "Well you just took all the fun out of it, didn't you?"

"Botan," Kurama interrupted, "When shall we begin?"

"Tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn!" she announced, adding, "Public transportation starts at four-thirty, and it'll let you four enter the temple unnoticed. The authorities have been guarding the perimeter pretty heavily, but at night they tend to thin out a bit." Yusuke mused inwardly; Koenma was certainly doing a better job of providing them with the necessary facts this time around. Unfortunately, he was not up for waking up so early.

Kurama interrupted the series of groans emanating from his allies, and questioned, "Where shall you be staying this evening, Botan?"

"Me?" the girl pointed a slender feminine finger at her nose, "Well, I suppose I will just stay here with you boys. I have to tag along anyway to take care of any human spirits that haven't crossed over yet."

"Then you may have my room," Kurama offered, to which Botan nodded. The redhead looked to his male companions, hoping that perhaps one of them would take him in.

"Not a chance, fox," Hiei snorted.

Puzzled with Hiei's answer; most likely because he had always known Hiei's affinity for tree branches or slim ledges; he looked beyond Yusuke to Kuwabara, who merely remarked, "I kinda kick and stuff in my sleep. I usually wake up all sprawled out on the bed…"

The black haired detective perked up and wrapped an arm around Kurama's shoulders, and winked, "I know, I know. It'll be hard not to ravage me after being away for so long, but I'll let you sleep with me." The fox blushed some, but then laughed along with everyone else, aside from Hiei. Romantic jokes weren't his cup of tea.

* * *

The morning was unusually frigid for the temperate climate of the city. Dew from the misty fog settled on just about everything; from the thin leaves of the maples to the yellow police tape attached to various poles and trunks around the perimeter. Two police squad cars were stationed at the entrance, and fortunately for them, they were the only authorities on site; just as Botan had said.

The had equipped themselves in tight black clothing, taking care to wear tough black hand guards that allowed them to breeze through the branches without a sliver. They sidled easily into the temple, wet droplets landing in their hair as they paced swiftly beneath tree branches. Kuwabara, being the sensitive psychic that he is, kept mentioning the unusual aura he was feeling around the place.

Yusuke, of course, was complaining as usual. After all, none of them had really changed, had they?

"Damn! I can hardly see through this stupid thick-ass fog!" he whined.

"Feh," Hiei scoffed, "Have you really forgotten what you are capable of, Detective?"

Yusuke quirked an eyebrow up in a charmingly devilish smile, renewing Hiei's faith in him, and answered, "Course not, man." Turquoise energy swelled around him, creating a powerful wind of mixed auras that cleared the dense and ominous fog, shedding light upon the temple. It's simple sliding doors were broken; planks were missing and there was an X of police tape across it.

"I don't miss this world one bit," Hiei remarked, slicing through the doors and tape in an instant with his katana. The doors fell with a soft clutter, not audible enough for the police to notice. The scent of mildew, dust, and blood migrated into their nostrils. They would have to work quickly if they wanted to succeed before being caught.

Botan, being the handy woman that she was, handed out powerful and petite black flashlights that mimicked the size of rolled hard-candy. Hiei fumbled around with the contraption, until Yusuke casually switched theirs with some slick sleight-of-hand. It was only one of many nice gestures that made Yusuke who he was; and it made Hiei feel just that much more at ease with the situation.

"Where's the statue?" Kuwabara whispered, scanning the walls with his flashlight. More yellow tape segregated a nearby corner, secluding a perfect white chalk outline of a person. He shuddered, hoping that maybe someone would answer him. He had gotten soft over the years. Although he still had the ability to feel 'the tickle', he hadn't kept up with his spiritual training, and felt that maybe he wouldn't be able to perform as well as he had in the past.

"Perhaps it is down there," stated Kurama, his footsteps creaking the floorboards below him. A beam of light landed upon the splintered railing of descending stairs.

Yusuke nodded, and directed, "Let's go." He led the way, followed respectively by Hiei, Botan, Kuwabara, and then finally Kurama. As the detective took his first step, he asked Botan, "So how come no cops have been killed yet?"

Botan moved her flash left and right, gently using the back of her hands to guide her way down the stairs. She didn't desire any splinters in her fingers. After yet another cautious glance, she replied, "Most of the deaths occurred, according to autopsies and our own census at Spirit World, between one in the morning and just after dawn."

"Lovely," remarked Kurama from the back of the line. As if on cue of the man's statement, a threatening and beastly roar echoed from the depths of the temple. Yusuke stopped to listen, knowing that the next stop was the bottom, and it caused a chain reaction of sandwiching and swearing.

"Yeah…? So they don't come in here during then, and only investigate during daylight hours, right?" Yusuke prodded on, ignoring the weight of his stumbling comrades behind him.

In a muffled voice, Botan responded, "Yes, Yusuke. Now would you please concentrate on the growling we just heard? That is why you stopped, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he answered, directing his beam of light to the center of the room, "Think we've got our statue."

The five-some quickly gathered at the base of the steps, and while Yusuke held his light on the statue, the others investigated the rest of the room with their own flashlights. Kuwabara let out a yelp upon discovering that he was standing adjacent to an un-taped white outline. He side-stepped away, bumping into his favorite hot-headed demon, and knocking the flashlight out of his hands.

"Watch it, moron!" Hiei scolded him, bending back over to retrieve the light. As he lifted it, he discovered yet another marking; this time on the wall. A mark of impact and splattered blood surrounded where the heart would have been on the now deceased and removed person. The fire-demon shrugged it off, and switched back to where Yusuke was watching.

"Botan, when was the last death reported?" he asked, voice devoid of anger or annoyment.

She looked to Hiei, accidentally shining her light in his face, and recalled, "Oh, maybe three days ago? Koenma had received the paperwork but we haven't seen a soul cross over yet. Both myself and a few of my fellow guides had come here to retrieve them, but could find no trace of anyone."

"Heh. Typical," Hiei laughed, mocking the entire case.

"I see, Hiei," Kurama agreed, "While many humans have tried to falsify their holy statues to cry blood, this one is actually doing so." The other two turned their sight to the marble pupil-less eyes of Orion, and watched as red plasma trailed down the sides of its nose and dropped to the floor below.

"Ya sure this isn't some sort of elaborate hoax, Kurama?" Yusuke inquired, tapping the butt-end of his flashlight on the alabaster leg; carelessly chipping a small piece of it off. Hearing the tiny chunk of marble fall to floor, Yusuke mumbled, "Oops."

"Yes, Yusuke," Kurama assured him, "I have encountered something like this before…take a look at Orion's knee." The detective turned his head sideways, only to discover that blood had seeped from the stone, just as if it were a real injury upon real skin.

A twisted thought came into his head at that moment, and the question on the authenticity of the blood needed to be answered. Yusuke placed a single index finger just under the wound, and swept upwards, gathering the crimson hot liquid on his fingertip. Brown eyes settled on the sticky substance; it certainly _felt_ like real blood.

Hiei was growing impatient. He had already come to the same conclusion as the fox, but still wanted to test the blood further. Instead of waiting for Yusuke, he walked over to him, and stuck the reddened finger in his mouth, sweeping his tongue over it briefly and then removing it. His team mates; along with Yusuke; gawked at him for the unusual behavior, but decided that now was not the time to question it.

"It's bitter," Hiei said, spitting it to the floor, "But it's real, and toxic. Just as you thought, Kurama."

"Yeah? Ya gonna fill us in or do I need to let ya molest me a bit more?" Yusuke crudely urged them.

"The statue cries because it is thirsty," Kurama started, "I can only assume that the deaths occurred slowly at first, and then progressively to every two-to-three days, correct Botan?" The girl nodded, and he continued, "When it becomes far too unbearable, it feeds."

"Yuck!" the tallest of them shouted, "Ya mean that's dead people's blood?"

"No, you idiot," Hiei interjected, "That's Orion's blood. It thirsts not for blood but for souls. How much more obvious could it be?"

"Well that explains…" Botan trailed off as another growl echoed in close proximity to them, "…The anomalies in the census."

"So lemme get this straight, guys," Yusuke straightened up, focusing not on the soul-consumption but instead a previous statement, "Are you saying this ain't a statue, but an actual soul-eating demon?"

"_Yes._"

"Well why don't we blow it apart and collect the spirits already!" he exclaimed. Another roar permeated the air, and both Botan and Kuwabara found their flashlights trembling in their grip.

"Yusuke, come here," Kurama warned, emerald eyes steady upon the sight behind his ally.

"Why?" the detective pondered aloud as he watched Hiei migrate away from him.

"Because neither myself _nor_ Hiei answered you just then." Hot breath fell upon Yusuke's back; and the warning processed through his brain just in time for him to avoid a beastly claw aimed at his head.

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To Be Continued…


	3. The Statue of Bleeding Tears: Act II

**Disclaimer:** _Yu Yu Hakusho_ © Yoshihiro Togashi. Black Suicide © Zelia Theb.

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Black Suicide

A _Yu Yu Hakusho_ Fan-Fiction

By Zelia Theb

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The reunited Spirit Detectives; with the assistance of Botan; have entered the abandoned Hito Temple that houses the Bleeding Status of Orion. After some quick deductions, they discovered that Orion wasn't a statue at all…

* * *

The Statue of Bleeding Tears: Act II

"Damn!" Yusuke cursed as he hit the floor in a roll. Orion had become a living statue of fur and skin; it was one incredibly nude and violent lion-beast.

"Move!" Hiei commanded. Using a formidable new power he infused the blade of his sword with a pale green fire and charged at the beast.

"_NO!_" it roared, swiping Hiei away. The demon flew back into his old friendly rival, nearly slicing off the orange curls of his head with the stray katana.

Orion made eye contact with Kurama next; and froze him still. The man uttered, "Damn…" but was not easily held down. Seeds that were clenched in his fists sprouted and crawled along his legs; spreading to the floor and wrapping themselves tightly around the bristled fur of Orion's ankles.

Finding himself ensnared up to his knees, the beast grew even angrier. He growled in annoyance, tossing all who advanced within a few meters of him to the ground with sound. Blood lust evident in his eyes, he gazed once more upon Kurama. He would break the spell of the youko; and then eat its flesh after feeding upon its soul.

"Kurama!" Yusuke shouted in warning and worry. He was right to do so; although he knew Kurama could do nothing. Instead, he fled for his friend, trying to pull him out of his own biological entrapment and stiffened stance before Orion made his next move.

Hiei's ears perked up as his comrades struggled. They were being far too loud in dispatching the creature.

"Call for back up."

"Come on, the rest of us are heading in. Don't lose your flashlights! Sunlight can't kill this fog!"

Orion too, heard the warning, and felt the sunlight bearing down upon it, despite its depth below the surface. It was desperate. One clawed hand fetched for the arrow in its quiver, and before Hiei could react, it had successfully struck Kurama just below the left rib. The fox lost all concentration; it had been a while since he had partaken in such combat; and the weeds at Orion's ankles loosened.

"Kurama!" the detective shouted in unison with Botan and Kuwabara. The redhead coughed, regurgitating blood onto the floor, and then falling unconscious to his knees. Frantic, Yusuke yelled, "Botan! Kuwabara! Quick!"

Kuwabara made haste with Botan and tended to Kurama's fatal wound while the other two battled a now free roaming Orion. The ebon locked members of the team were enraged; Kurama couldn't handle a wound to the stomach as well he used to. Hiei charged up his blade once more, and nodded to Yusuke to make the first move. After all; if Hiei wanted to even get near the monster, Yusuke would have to flex his spiritual muscles first.

"Spirit Gun!" Yusuke cried out. After all of these years, the detective no longer needed a few moments to gather his energy; the attack was so simple for him to perform now.

The partial manticore fell backward, crashing into the floor with a boisterous thud and sending debris up into the air. Hiei took the opportunity and severed the beast's dominant arm above the elbow, whetting his katana with venomous scarlet liquid, and defeating it once and for all. Hiei was certain of this; demonic energy no longer encircled Orion's body; and his Jagan eye saw nothing but black mass that cloned the appearance of an eclipse.

"Damn it!" Yusuke cursed, hearing the police enter on the floor above them, "We have to get Kurama out of here, _now_!"

* * *

The news was easily heard from the sitting room. Kuwabara was having tea with Botan, talking quietly and catching up, while Yusuke sat next to Kurama on their shared bed. Hiei was there as well, leaning against the wall, and waiting with his ally for Kurama to make a move and wake up. They had fully tended to the wound and stopped the bleeding. Botan had managed to heal most of it; but afterwards Kurama was unconsciously choking on the blood that _had_ gone into his stomach.

"Cat burglar my ass…" Yusuke mumbled in frustration.

"Hn," came a familiar grunt.

"The Hito Temple mystery was put to rest earlier this morning when police discovered the unconscious body of the perpetrator. The man was found naked in a pool of his own blood, and his arm had been severed off."

Kurama stirred, as if he had been knocked out of slumber by the scare of his own breath. Yusuke's hand fell on top of the redhead's in hopes to be his comfort upon full awareness. Hiei merely uncrossed his arms and joined Yusuke at his bedside.

"When the suspect awoke, he began screaming, "I killed them. I killed them." He quickly became incoherent and violent; and has been institutionalized pending further investigation."

Kurama did not wake. The two sighed and returned to their silent vigil. Yusuke heard the midi ringing of a cell-phone, and then the coarse murmurs of Kuwabara as he answered it.

"It's not Koenma," Hiei stated, eyes on the wounded one.

"Just Kuwabara's cell-" Yusuke paused, knowing Hiei hadn't been around in a while, and explained, "Their kinda new…not really. Portable phones." The fire demon only gave him a look of indifference; he could care less about the technology the oaf insisted on toting around with him.

Botan was also interrupted as her tea-companion was. Koenma contacted _her_, and she entered Yusuke's room to inform him that the souls Orion stole had just been released from his body. She had to take a trip to the Spirit World, but assured them of her safe return later that night.

"How've you been?" Yusuke had given in to the silence, although kept his chit-chat inquiry to a whisper.

"Fine," replied Hiei.

"How does it feel to be back?" He cared not for an answer, as he knew Hiei was the talkative type, but he tried anyway.

"Dull, Detective," the demon answered him, "Investigations are boring."

Insulted from the comment, and infuriated by Kurama's condition; Yusuke quietly hissed, "Oh, so you don't enjoy the company of your friends. Here I was, thinking it was nice to be back to old times."

"But it isn't old times, Yusuke." Hiei was correct, somehow there was something different, and that something was _him_. _Yusuke_. He fought for similar reasons as he did in the past, yet different at the same time.

"What do _you_ know…"

"There's no use in trying to change the past," Hiei advised him, imparting his own wisdom and hardships on some unseen tier, "You should give up and just accept your life." Their argument had gained the attention of Kuwabara, who was peering through the open doorway from his place in the sitting room.

"Oh, you mean like you?" Yusuke remarked sarcastically, seething at the brim.

"I saw it, Yusuke," Hiei defiantly stated in face of the open attack, "The _Jagan_ saw it. Your soul is tainted."

"…Shut up." Yusuke didn't want to risk Kurama waking to hear what he knew Hiei would divulge upon the room.

"Black blotches crawl over you like insects. Your muscles scream at all aware to the sound…" Yusuke shook his head, but Hiei would not stop; "…You have killed yourself. Willingly. Infected your body and your mind with addictive poisons. The insects convene around your heart…"

Kuwabara had seen enough of the hostile expressions on Yusuke's face. He stepped in; his phonecall having ended; and asked, "Hey, what's going on in here?" He was ignored as Hiei continued.

"Those substances cost you, didn't they, Yusuke. And now the insects scatter like cockroaches. You try to pretend everything is as it was, and that you care and will never stop caring, but this is not enough light to keep the blackness hidden."

"I swear, Hiei!-" Yusuke tightly clenched Kurama's hand accidentally in anger, and the injured man stirred again. He gasped, letting go of Kurama, and leaned in to whisper, "I'm sorry, Kurama…"

"Guys…" the seemingly invisible man in the doorframe pleaded.

"Yusuke," Hiei said remorselessly, "You are right. I know this because that is what _it_ sees in me. The Jagan was _my_ drug." The demon's head aimed down as he placed his hands in his pockets and walked for the door. He stopped at Kuwabara, and looked at him to say, "We are not perfect, Detective. This one is." Turning his speech away from Yusuke and to the towering human before him, he finished with, "I hate you. Now move."

Kuwabara complied, and did not bother to ask any follow up questions. He stayed quiet in the square archway; watching Yusuke as he returned his hand to Kurama's in patient and peaceful surveillance. Kuwabara had always had an inkling that Yusuke had been an addict, but never had the nerve to ask him. He had always respected Urameshi; and did not want to discover that the 'top dog' had fallen from grace. He felt secure being second; there was always someone to fall upon if he needed it.

Koenma had further alluded to the fact when he approached him with the job, and Hiei just confirmed it. Things _weren't_ the same. Yusuke was not a respectable leader; only a fallen 'general' of legend. Kazuma wasn't entirely sure why he had agreed to help Koenma in the first place. Maybe it was due to the lack of excitement from unemployment, or maybe it was just the pay. No, it was more than that. He felt most comfortable among these people, even if one of them really pushed his buttons from time to time. Hiei didn't _really_ hate him; he knew that. But boy, did the demon ever agitate him.

"Yusuke?" Kuwabara finally said, hoping to get his friend's attention.

"Leave me alone," he responded quietly. As the boy left, closing the door slightly behind him, a tear fell from Yusuke's cheek and into his lap. It was unbearable.

Hiei was right. Things were not the same. Kuwabara had heard it all. Hiei was apparently psychic. Keiko knew about it. Koenma and Botan had access to his whole damn life story. Now…it was only Kurama and Shizuru left; and Kurama may have already been tainted.

He could have killed Hiei, and; had he been high; he just might have. Anger depleted from him as he fought the onslaught of tears. Yusuke couldn't stay mad at Hiei. It was the demon's way of saying he cared; he always would pull stunts like that to show Yusuke his true path.

His second and final tear fell. He lifted his hand from Kurama's to clean the evidence of the breakdown away, and that was when Kurama finally fluttered his eyes open, uttering, "Yusuke?"

"Hey," Yusuke smiled softly, "How are you feeling?"

_"And your forecast for the rest of the week is rain, with possible thundersho-"_ Kuwabara turned the television off in the other room.

The redhead relaxed into his pillow and murmured, "I've been better."

"I'm sorry if we woke you," the worried man apologized. He was thankful that Kurama _did_ awaken, though.

Kurama lied, "You didn't." In actuality, he had heard everything. Hiei's taunting words of wisdom, Yusuke's fight, and the slight sniffle of the detective's crying.

"Did ya miss that impaling feeling to the stomach?" Yusuke joked, trying to dress up his inner sadness with humor.

"I've missed this…" Kurama admitted, glancing at the hand Yusuke previously held in comfort, "But I should be better within a few hours."

The detective brightened up at the words; "I'm glad."

A knock on the slightly open door prompted an end to their dialogue. Botan had returned faster than expected, and peered through the crack to say, "We've got another case…" Hiei and Kuwabara joined her at the door, since none of them expected Kurama to get up. Unfortunately, Kuwabara had become attached to his cellular phone again.

"Damn it, Kuwabara!" Yusuke yelled across the room, "Get off the damn phone!"

The burly carrot covered the pocket sized device, and retorted, "It's my sister! Damn, Urameshi…"

The condemned Urameshi's eyes lit up, and before any knew it, he was at Kuwabara side, yelling, "Tell her I said hi!"

"Agh! Let go of my hand!" Kuwabara shouted, "I can't tell her anything if I can't talk to her!"

Yusuke tackled Kuwabara out of the room, yelling, "Hi, Shizuru! It's Yusuke!" into his friend's clenched palm, and the two began wrestling for the phone. Botan grew impatient, and went out of the room to admonish them, while Hiei took the opportunity to speak with Kurama.

"Boys!"

"Hiei." The demon knew that tone of voice; he had not forgotten the way in which Kurama scolded others.

"Hn. I know," Hiei explained, relaxing his posterior on the edge of the bed.

"You're so damn annoying, Urameshi!"

Kurama brushed aside a stray bang and looked at Hiei with disapproval; "Don't be so hard on him."

Hiei let out a curt groan and stated, "I have to."

They ended there, waiting as Botan dragged the 'boys' back into the room with her. She further berated them for their behavior, but calmed down to reveal nothing more than a scrap of paper from her pocket.

"It's an address," she explained, "The teacher of a young boy is hiring you, Yusuke."

"Huh? But I closed the office…" Vexed, Yusuke scratched at his head.

"Koenma has been filtering through the messages and pulling out ones of Spirit World interest to keep you busy between his cases," Botan informed him.

"What!" the man declared in shock, "That bastard! That's an invasion of privacy!"

"Detective," Hiei glared at him. That shut him up.

"Anyway," she continued, "The teacher says that her student has been acting very unusual lately; claiming that the piano in his home is haunted. It plays by itself."

"Hmm, well _that_ isn't too cliché," Yusuke retorted.

"Yusuke! Hush!" Botan placed her hands on her hips as if she were royalty and about to send him to the dungeon. After sensing him coward down just a mite, she explained, "The teacher says that because of this, the student has not been practicing his lessons. She is afraid that it is just a made up story, and that maybe the child is suffering abuse at home."

"That's terrible," uttered Kurama. Hiei merely rolled his eyes at the human remark.

"Either way, we have to look into it." Violet eyes shifted over and landed upon the most disinterested Hiei, and yelled, "Hey!" He jumped, and she reminded him, "You have to go too! You're not exempted! You know what will happen if Koenma finds out you're acting this way!"

Both Yusuke and Kuwabara burst into giggles then, and Yusuke exclaimed, "You mean you stole something and got caught again! Haha!"

"Grr…" Hiei growled, "It wasn't just _something_, you idiots. It was the Royal Belt of M'Hasshir, along with an Essence Ruby necklace." Hiei waited…

…for Kurama's praise; "Impressive!" Kurama smiled; whimsical fantasies of past and present dancing in his head, and he said, "I've had a necklace or two like that in my day…and the Royal Belt was only a dream! Nice work, Hiei."

"Indeed," responded Hiei triumphantly. The demon directed his attention back toward Botan, and reminded _her_, "Koenma knows that I will _not_ give up their location until I am free. So it doesn't matter."

"But you're still going," she stated.

And the 'boys' giggled on… Perhaps it wasn't so different after all.

To Be Continued…

* * *

I'm not sure about you guys, but I actually found myself getting depressed over Yusuke's inner turmoil. I've never actually had that happen while writing a story. I just hope that it spoke to you the way it spoke to me.

The message here is to get over past mistakes and not let them consume you, else you'll be wasting your life away.


	4. The Black Key Melody: Act I

**Disclaimer:** _Yu Yu Hakusho_ © Yoshihiro Togashi. Black Suicide © Zelia Theb.

* * *

**Black Suicide**

A _Yu Yu Hakusho_ Fan-Fiction

By Zelia Theb

* * *

__

The Spirit Detectives completed their first mission, but not without sacrifice; Kurama was fatally shot by Orion's arrow. During his recovery, Hiei engaged in a heated verbal battle with the Detective, plunging Yusuke back into a world of regret. Soon after, Botan tells the team the tale of the haunted piano…

* * *

****

The Black Key Melody: Act I

Through much convincing and otherwise audacious verbal banter, Botan managed to convince the foursome to dress like the sophisticated private investigators they were. Unfortunately her definition of such a task was taken straight from the movies made long ago.

The home was more of a mansion; fenced off with typical Western-Meiji style iron bars, and grass that could compete with the color of Kurama's eyes. Yusuke frowned as he rang the doorbell, remarking, "Too bad _these_ guys aren't paying us."

Moments later the door opened, and the foursome was greeted by an albeit irate male caretaker; whose face spoke dignity and hair said 'late forties'. In a raspy yet utterly proper and pompous tone, he scathed, "Can I help you?"

Yusuke flashed his P.I. badge from home, and stated, "Yusuke Urameshi. This are my partners: Mister Kuwabara, Mister Minamino, and…" Yusuke gestured to Hiei, hoping that in that small amount of time he'd be able to come up with something better than 'Mister Hiei'. Luck; "…Mister Jagan."

"I am Mister Sakamoto," the man sneered with a bow, "Why are you here?"

"We're investigating reports of a haunting…" Yusuke began.

"There's no haunting here." And the door slammed in their faces.

"Hn. Boring legwork," complained 'Mister Jagan'.

"Oh no he doesn't!" Yusuke declared, pounding on the door. Reluctantly, the door opened again, and Yusuke smiled, "We're here to disprove the reports of the haunting."

"Is that so?" Sakamoto challenged them, eyebrow in the air.

Kurama nodded for effect, and Yusuke; equipped with his charm; answered, "Oh yes. The neighborhood has been talking, and thinking of releasing the crazy claims to the local newspaper."

The man's eyes narrowed, and he seethed, "Those bastards would do that…wouldn't they. But how can I be certain you _aren't_ a reporter?"

"An old friend of the family hired us, sir," Yusuke lied, "He would hate to see young Saiki get rejected from all of the prestigious schools." Yusuke metaphorically wiped away his mental sweat, hoping that he pulled it off as usual. Normally clients didn't give him such a hard time; but this case was going to need hands-on activity; not searching for clues in the trash.

"Please, come in," Sakamoto complied, then called for the boy, "Master Saiki! You have visitors!" From the grand staircase that greeted the front entry, a young chocolate-eyed boy no more than ten barreled down the stairs and bowed to the Spirit Detectives.

"Oh! Hiya!" he chirped up, "Nice to meet you! I'm Saiki Tenmaka! Are you here for tea?"

Yusuke smirked; he always secretly enjoyed the company of children. He made a move to speak up, but Sakamoto rudely cleared his throat, and announced, "They are private detectives. They think your stories are true."

"Oh!" Saiki exclaimed, "My piano plays all by itself! Come on let's see! Mister Sakamoto is gonna get us some tea after he gets your rooms ready!" Disgruntled at his master's demands, the older man left the room, leaving the foursome at the mercy of the child; who was dragging them into the upper level music chamber. The walls were high; Kuwabara would need to stand on the shoulders of himself just to barely touch the white ceilings. The walls too, were white; decorated with inset blanched-wood panels, and the carpet was a dark cherry. Centered between two translucently draped windows was shiny ebon of a grand piano. A few chairs scattered the walls of the room, and one wooden one was up close as if used by the boy's instructor.

"Nice," Yusuke remarked, "Now that your butler's gone, we can tell you our names. I'm.."

Saiki smiled and childishly interrupted, "Oh I heard you at the door! I was hiding behind the banister!" He ran over to Hiei and hugged him at the waist; the demon only had a few inches on the boy.

Irked at the child, he demanded, "What is this child doing to me?" Glancing at his teammates for answers, he received only stifled giggles and the reply of Saiki.

"I'm hugging you because you're a nice man!" the child explained, pulling away, "And you even wear a cool bandana even though you're wearing a suit! Mister Sakamoto won't let me wear stuff like that…"

"Yes, Saiki," Kurama interjected, "Who is Mister Sakamoto?"

"Oh!" the child bubbled anxiously, straddling the piano bench enthusiastically, "Mister Sakamoto is taking care of me since my parents aren't here anymore! Daddy hired him right before the accident…" Saiki trailed off as he realized what he had just said.

"We're sorry," Kurama apologized, "It is good that he is here for you, then."

"Yeah…HEY!" Saiki said, pouncing on Hiei again, "Mister Jagan? What's your first name?"

Hiei's eyes twitched, and he looked to his companions for answers. Once again; he was given cloaked chuckles and the collective desire to obtain a camera. The demon answered, "It's Hiei."

"Mister Hiei…?"

"Hn. Just Hiei."

"Hiei?" Saiki corrected himself, as if it were nothing, "Can you get the ghost in my piano to stop sleeping there so I can play again?" Again; the look of aid. This time, the three of them return with an affirmative nod.

"Yes," the midnight-haired demon verbally reiterated. The boy let go of him again, beamed a wide grin, and explained that his teacher would be so happy that he could play again.

Sakamoto finally returned after setting up the guest rooms and bringing them tea. He ended up becoming annoyed and leaving, because Saiki had taken them into the recreation room; and was watching cartoons with Yusuke and Hiei while the fairer haired of the quartet did some sleuthing.

Kurama sat at the piano as Kuwabara scanned the walls; claiming he could get some sort of 'reading' off of the hot and cold areas. The fox diddled away on a few keys he remembered from highschool as they spoke.

"Unusual that there is not a presence in this room, but that there is within the home," Kurama stated. _E, F Sharp, G…hold…E Minor…_

"Yeah, I know what you're sayin'," Kuwabara agreed, becoming bored and seating himself backwards in the teacher's wooden chair, "I don't think it's the kids parents because it doesn't feel too good."

__

B Minor, D, F Sharp, E, hold…repeat…three and-a four, and-a one…

He had forgotten the melody, and stopped; "There is nothing wrong with this piano, but the keys seem sticky with sweat. Let's go-"

"Hey! Mister Minomina, Mister Kuhabaka…" Hiei laughed at the child's obvious connection between the oaf and the word idiot.

"It's Minamino and Kuwabara," Yusuke whispered to Saiki.

"Oh! Sorry!" The boy kicked a nervous toe into the carpet, and got to the point, "Mister Yusuke asked if he could look for the ghost in my room with you two."

"Just us?" Kurama chuckled, "What about Mister Jagan?" He shot a gleeful gaze over to Yusuke; everyone already knew the answer.

"Oh! I heard you playing and wanted to play!" the boy rambled cheerfully, "We were watching 'Super Monkey-Cat Chiru' and I asked Mis-…Hiei if I could play piano for him! But only if he watched the ghost in the piano and told it not to come out and get me! Because my teacher is going to get mad at my if I can't play my new scales!"

Yusuke ruffled the tiny straight locks of Saiki's hair, and announced, "Well okay then, kiddo! We're going to make sure it isn't hiding in your room either!" The three of them over-indulged in their farewell waves as they sauntered down the hall to where Saiki told Yusuke his room was, leaving Hiei to deal with the child alone.

"Okay! Mister Hiei!" Saiki chirped, "Can you sit on the ghost?"

"Wha…Yes. I'll sit on him." Two hands propped themselves on the edge of the piano top, and Hiei hopped up like it was nothing, leaving his feet dangling near the treble side of the keys. The boy took a seat at the pre-warmed piano bench, and went to work, practicing scales and trills flawlessly like some sort of virtuoso prodigy.

Hiei was fascinated. The speed was remarkable for a human boy. He only found that he was leaning just a tad too much over the keys when Saiki's bright brown eyes greeted him.

"Do you want to play with me?" The boy sidled over to his left, and patted the empty place on his right. There was nothing Hiei could do. He leapt down and sat next to him, and waited for the boy's instructions.

"Okay…we can play the first song I learned! When ever I play _here_ can you play _that_ key?" Saiki then played a simple children's lullaby, and exaggerated with his right hand when Hiei should play, just as his teacher had done when they first began his lessons.

"Are you ready Mister Hiei?"

"Hn. Yes." Of course he was ready…not really. He understood what was going on, truly, he did. But he knew for sure that his child would best him, and that he would have to deal with the embarrassment.

"Okay I am gonna sing too! Here we go!" And the boy played…

__

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star! Oh how Hiei wonders what you are…"

* * *

The boy's room was far from little. It was even decked out with a television and all of the latest gaming consoles. The systems seemed untouched aside from recent use; as if the boy had turned to the video games during his normal lesson time. Curious, Yusuke turned on the television, announcing that he wanted to listen to the news as they searched the room for any clues. It was that _same_ channel with that _same_ anchorman.

__

"More developments on the Hito Temple murders today…"

"Hmm," mused Kurama, who was at the boy's bedside staring down at his nightstand, "Not a very tidy butler if he neglects to clean the boy's empty tea cups." There were at least three that lay stagnant there, all with dry blackened tea leaves stuck to their bottoms.

"Shh," Yusuke commanded, "Listen to this."

__

"Police discovered that drugs were at work when it came to the institutionalized man behind the slaughter. This very same drug was identified as the one found in the blood of a suspected murderer in another city. While authorities deny any connections between the two, they have made one announcement."

"Weird," Kuwabara muttered, only to be backhanded by Yusuke who was personally involved with any narcotics cases. After all, it could have been _him_ killing everyone else had he not quit.

__

"The drug is relatively new to the underground, and its street-name is "Black Suicide". However, there have been no leads on its distributor, as it seems that it isn't as easily obtained as drugs like marijuana, cocaine, or even heroin."

"Means that it's still in beta," Yusuke mumbled.

As the anchorman listed the effects of Black Suicide, Kurama inquired, "Beta? As in, a test market?"

Yusuke replied mechanically, "Yeah. The developer wants to see what it does and how long his customers are gonna last on it before marketing it on the streets. Beta usually takes a month or something…"

"Then what?" the redhead furthered.

"Then we start seeing yakuza sell it in nightclubs, hookers dying with it in their motel rooms, kids dropping out of school…"

"Hrmm," Kuwabara coughed, "How do ya know _so much_ about this sorta thing, _Urameshi_?"

The sneer of a rabid dog roared from Yusuke. How could Kuwabara bring that up right next to Kurama…and during a case, no less! The detective curtly retorted with, "I _read_, Kuwabara."

* * *

"Mister Hiei?" Saiki asked curiously, "Do you have any brothers or sisters?" They had finished Saiki's altered rendition of the lullaby and were taking a rest between duets. It was good too, because the demon was having a difficult time understanding why notes fell into place when they did.

"Yes, a sister," the older replied, eyes falling to the slender and petite fingers of the child next to him. Not a callous, not a _burn_; not one imperfection.

"Is she pretty?" the youth added in, eyes bright and gleaming.

"Beautiful." More beautiful; Hiei believed; than he deserved in a sister.

Saiki kicked his legs, making sure not to hit the underneath of the piano, and stated, "My little sister was pretty too." The demon's brow flinched; _was_? Possibly part of the accident the boy had mentioned earlier. Saiki was strong for a boy without family, but had not grown bitter. So why had Hiei become who he was?

"I made up a song for her, but it doesn't have words yet."

The fire demon struggled to pay attention. His Jagan ached; it was open beneath the ward, and was blurring his vision with bright neon colors. He had to physically close the large lid without paralyzing the boy by removing his headband.

"Mister Hiei?" Saiki nudged him while he fumbled over the white cloth, "What's wrong?"

There, the Jagan was closed. Hiei lied, "My forehead itched."

"Oh, you probably just need to wash your bandana," Saiki said bluntly, unaware of how rude the statement would have been if Hiei were human. The boy's hands moved over the keys again, anxious to play again, and questioned, "Would you like to hear my song?" Hiei nodded, regarding the keys with interest, only to be shocked when Saiki announced the piece, recital style.

"Okay! This song is called "Yukina"; written in A sharp aeolian; by Saiki Tenmaka!"

Thus, the black keys of the piano spelled out the haunting melody of despair, icicles, beauty, and death. And then…Hiei began to lose all concentration… The Jagan was opening again.

__

To Be Continued…

* * *

A Sharp Aeolian (A# Minor) is the relative minor key to C# Major. This scale makes use of all the black keys on the piano. I didn't want to overly bore anyone with music theory, so I stuck to using a simple key.


	5. The Black Key Melody: Act II

**Warning:** Spoiler for a small part at the end of the series. Sorry, I know. I tried not to litter the story with these, but it's something critical for the rest of the story.

Once again, **S P O I L E R **contained within the text of this chapter!

**Disclaimer:** _Yu Yu Hakusho_ © Yoshihiro Togashi. Black Suicide © Zelia Theb.

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**Black Suicide**

A _Yu Yu Hakusho_ Fan-Fiction

By Zelia Theb

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__

The Spirit Detectives' latest case allowed them to meet Saiki Tenmaka, a young piano prodigy, and his caretaker Sakamoto. Saiki takes an immediate liking to Hiei, and the demon sits with the boy as his allies look for clues in other rooms of the Tenmaka Estate. Meanwhile, the Jagan starts acting up, and it's about to crack their case wide open…

* * *

****

The Black Key Melody: Act II

Yusuke turned off the television, muttering, "Damn…"

"Yusuke, Kuwabara." Kurama was drawing their attention toward the tea cups; one of which was in his hand; "This isn't normal tea." The two men ran over to their friend, only to have their investigation interrupted by an intrusion.

"Wha…what are you doing over there! Put those down right now!" called Sakamoto from the doorway. He was distraught, anxious, and his face showed more wrinkles than anyone would ever care to have.

Confronting him, Kurama held onto the porcelain and demanded, "Why? So that you can cover up the fact that you've been _drugging_ little Saiki?" An anger harbored within Yusuke threatened to emerged then. He was just brought _intimately_ close to this case.

The mid-forties man stuttered, "I…I don't know what you're talking about!"

The fox-demon stepped forward in a confident strut, placing his finger into the bottom of the teacup to display the charred remains on his fingertip. He announced, "Placing narcotics in his tea, very clever…" The caretaker's face showed signs of being praised, but Kurama waited for this feeling so that he could crush it with, "And very cliché. But what I don't understand is how a human like you managed to obtain the dangerous Yogore leaf from the _Demon World_."

Sakamoto jumped as Yusuke dashed toward him, taking the crisp collar of the butler's shirt into his fist, and shouting, "What! You've been giving this kid Demon World drugs?" Yusuke shook him; "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Kuwabara, having matured enough to know that beating the guy up wasn't the answer, scolded Yusuke immediately; "Urameshi!" Yusuke did not stop. He continued the physical wracking of the man, rambling on and on about how the kid could have suffered a stroke at any moment, and threatening to toss him through the wall.

And until Hiei showed up in the room; distraught; Yusuke didn't hold back. The demon shouted, "_STOP_!" and waited for everyone's attention, despite his obvious impatience. When all eyes were on him, he removed the ward on his Jagan; which was already wide open; and pointed down the hallway, instructing, "Listen. He is infected." Sakamoto immediately fell unconscious from the stunning effect of the powerful and unblinking third eye, allowing the team to rush to the music chamber.

The room had become dark as Saiki sapped the will of his surroundings; illuminating himself in a sickly brown glow. They hastily moved for him, but sensing danger; the entranced boy look at them with barren, soulless eyes. Using the melody of "Yukina", he heightened the dynamic and forced the three of them back with an invisible shove. Hiei stood first, examining the youth with the Jagan.

"Hn. I can only see the void left by disease. This is the Yogore leaf."

Saiki regarded him apprehensively as Hiei, and Hiei alone, tried to breech the barrier and get close to him. Yusuke warned for him to be cautious, but he was already aware of that fact. The boy was sweating profusely from his trance; jittering from intense tremors as the drug swam through his bloodstream into his nervous system. Yukina's eerie chorus turned into a fast paced tempo of random keys mashing together; his physical body could no longer keep up with the speed of the drug.

Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama watched with interest from the sidelines; unable to get closer to the boy like Hiei was. Kurama perked up suddenly, and said, "I should go back to check on Sakamoto, and gather some of the Yogore leaves for evidence. One of you should contact the local police and the hospital." The two nodded, knowing full well that the boy would need to go through an intense detoxification. Kuwabara agreed to go to the phones, and Yusuke volunteered to stay behind with Hiei.

"Against the wall, Detective," Hiei warned, "You'll end up there anyway if you don't." Yusuke shook his head affirmatively, bracing himself against the bleached walls, and watched as Hiei used his powers to lock Saiki within energy binds; ones that he had been placed in nearly a decade ago. The boy struggled, emitting another knockback wave, but Hiei stood firm and gazed into him. Their wills fought for a few seconds before the boy gave in and fell unconscious.

* * *

The three were silent as they returned to the hotel room. Botan was already there, having ordered a generous amount of room service food for their return. She smiled and congratulated them, "Good work guys! I've got plenty of food…where's Hiei?"

"Shrimpy's in the hospital," Kuwabara returned.

Botan opened her eyes in disbelief; Hiei? In the hospital? Yusuke caught on to the obvious confusion, and explained, "We got the kid an ambulance and Hiei insisted on tagging along to the hospital. He wouldn't let any of us go with him…"

"What do you think is going on with him?" she pondered aloud.

Kurama stepped forward with his usual observations; "I believe he has some sort of attachment to little Saiki. There is no doubt that the boy will wake up with no one at his side…"

"Oh!" Botan sang, "That is _so_ sweet! Hiei really is just like a big brother! A mushy and endearing big br-"

"Quiet, Botan." Hiei returned, scowling. His tone was irate and upset; so no one made a move to ask why he had returned so quickly. In actuality, the hospital would not let him see the boy, and despite various ways of human protest that he tried, he failed. There were many people going in and out of the room, so finding an opportune time to sneak in was not possible then.

"Ah-all right…" the girl stuttered, moving on to the next topic, "I suppose you boys would like to hear-"

"Please, Botan?" Yusuke sighed, annoyed, "Can't we get a break?"

"_No!_" the apparition shouted, "It's not like you've even had to do anything!"

"Whaddya mean!" Yusuke argued back, "You don't count being tossed around like a toy as anything? What_ever_."

"Well I'm _so sorry_, Yusuke," she stated bitterly, "But if you boys don't get on this case right away, someone may very well _die_."

Yusuke waited impatiently for Botan to go on, folding his arms over his chest as if he was going to die himself in three seconds if she didn't explain. And he very well may have just expired then and there, because the guide received a message from Koenma over her communicator just then.

"Oh…goodness," she uttered as she read the text message, "I'll be right back, boys."

"What was that about?" Kuwabara pondered as she left. Hiei shifted his eyes at the man and then moved toward the comfort of a windowsill. There was no reason to sit there and decipher what Botan could have been called back about.

"So, Hiei," stated the detective, who joined Hiei with Kurama, "What's going on?"

Expecting a callous answer; if even; Kurama shot Yusuke a warning glance not to pry further. However, Hiei didn't seem to mind, and replied flatly, "Her name was Yukina."

Darkened eyebrows arched and Yusuke inquired, "Saiki's sister?" As usual, Hiei did not respond verbally, but instead with eye language. Annoyed, the matured delinquent remarked, "Oh. I see. So ya care about the kid but for some reason you feel the need to be a complete asshole to me."

"Detective," Hiei returned, "_You're_ the one who is being a complete asshole." He rolled his eyes again, noticing that Kuwabara was once again on the cell-phone, and then stared out the window.

The fox had to stop Yusuke before the situation became even uglier, and translated, "Yusuke, you misunderstand. Hiei does care, and I'm certain that whatever he said was said as a friendly warning, and not just to anger you." Of course, Kurama _knew_ what they had fought about, but had to make certain that Yusuke was unaware of this fact.

"Oh yeah, Kurama? And where did he learn how to suddenly _care_?"

"Mukuro," Hiei answered, sights unbroken.

"Ya mean, you're _going out_ with her!" At Yusuke's statement, Kuwabara perked his head up, wondering if he had overheard what he thought he did. He waited for someone to say something, but decided that paying attention to his phonecall was a priority.

The fire demon let out a sneer of disgust at the implication, which caused Kurama to react with another translation; "No, Yusuke. If you remember…"

"That he got his ass handed to him when he was acting all high and mighty and cocky? Yeah, I remember that."

"Hn. Idiot." Hiei sat up with his back against the window pane, and explained, "Being able to admit something only makes you stronger. But you can't even realize that." More than just irate now, Yusuke stomped off to the sofa and sat down, followed by Kurama who felt the need to play mediator and explain the situation.

Perhaps Hiei wasn't being as strong as his friend back in the Demon World had taught him. Perhaps there was something that he was still hiding; something that he just couldn't admit. She always told him that he was a liar, in self-denial. Yet he continued to live when he acted as if he had nothing to live for. She forced him to admit that he cared about more than just his sister. That he cared about his allies. She knew that he would side with Yusuke all along; that he was only as strong as he was due to the strength of his friends. Not because of the Jagan. Not because of the Darkness Flame. But because of _them_.

And this was something that Kurama had to explain to Yusuke. The detective couldn't quite pick up on just _how_ Kurama knew all of this. He figured that Kurama must have spoken to Hiei along the way, or was able to lip-read amidst the action of their last grand battle.

"Hey, Urameshi," Kuwabara said, cupping the cell-phone in his hand politely, "Shizuru wants ta know if ya wanna come to the aquarium in Yokohama sometime."

Yusuke perked up; "_The_ aquarium!"

"_The_ aquarium."

"Who'd be going?" asked the excited detective.

Kuwabara answered with a short list; "It'd just be you, me, and her."

Yusuke pumped his fist; "Hell yeah I'm goin'!" His friend nodded and then returned to his conversation; just as Botan returned.

"Way to rain on my parade, Botan," Yusuke complained, his excitement of seeing Shizuru already squashed like a fat insect.

Kuwabara ended his phonecall and greeted Botan, who was _not_ entirely herself and actually a tad bit upset. He asked, "What's wrong, Botan? Bad news or something?"

"Saiki…" she began. Hiei leapt off of the windowsill at the mere mention.

Botan sighed, preempting the need to cower behind Kurama or Kuwabara, and finished with, "He didn't make it."

__

To Be Continued…

* * *

Please feel free to find every hidden meaning! I enjoy seeing what my fans can come up with by doing extra research, or by reading between the lines.


	6. The Angel of Death: Act I

Note that there is a flashback in this chapter. Note that it is not done in script format, and I will not announce where it is. So if you're confused, I'm really sorry.

Also, keep in mind that there is Christianity in Japan, although it isn't as wide-spread.

There is a lot of foreshadowing in this chapter. It might be hard to pick up on, so read _very_ carefully and pay attention to each and every detail.

**Disclaimer:** _Yu Yu Hakusho_ © Yoshihiro Togashi. Black Suicide © Zelia Theb.

* * *

**Black Suicide**

A _Yu Yu Hakusho_ Fan-Fiction

By Zelia Theb

* * *

_With Sakamoto captured, and young Saiki in the hospital for treatment, the team believed the case had been solved smoothly. Hiei; having been to the very same hospital; returns just as Botan is about to announce their newest case. However, she's interrupted with a job of her own...delivering Saiki's soul to Spirit World..._

* * *

**The Angel of Death: Act I**

"What do you mean he didn't _make_ it?" Hiei scowled.

Botan's eyes squinted in fear, until she finally rose beyond that trepidation and answered, "What I _mean_ is that I was doing _my_ job and I escorted Saiki to the Spirit World!"

"Why would you do such a thing!" he shouted, stepping forward. Kuwabara placed a cautious hand on his shoulder; reminding him that it would be dishonorable to be so rash.

"Probably because those drugs killed him, Hiei!" she retorted. They glared at each for a moment, and then Botan sighed; releasing all of her tension and anger so that she could explain.

"He was happy to see you in the hospital, when we left..."

"You were still here when I-" He stopped himself; Saiki must have died earlier than he thought.

"I'm sorry..."

And she told them how Saiki was waiting for her patiently at his own bedside; like he had known all along that this was going to happen.

"Hiya!" he had said, surprising Botan. She placed her checklist back into the sleeves of her kimono and sat down next to the boy; all the while wondering how the child was able to deal with his own death so easily.

"Hi there, Saiki," she replied with a weak smile, "My name is Botan. I'll be helping you tonight."

"Hi Botan," he replied, hopping off the bed after one last glance at his own body, "Where are we going?"

She had said the speech so many times at that point, but _something_...something was different. Perhaps because she had access to his file. Maybe it was because she saw that this was the very boy that her _own_ boys had been trying to help.

"Oh," he sighed when the woman finished, "Am I allowed to say good-bye to anyone first?"

With reluctance she informed him, "I'm sorry, but you're not." He frowned a bit at the rule and stared at his toes, which wiggled so freely without the constraint of his shoes.

"Ah, well you know everyone, right?" he asked, eyes gleaming with the whimsical ideas children often have.

"Well, eventually, everyone around here..."

"Well, do you know Mister Hiei?"

Botan perked up; "Mister Hiei?" There was no way that her expression could be hidden from the boy; her face screamed 'Yes' all over.

"Oh! Well he came to visit me...but the doctors wouldn't let him come around..." The boy glanced to the ground sheepishly, then back up to Botan with glimmering eyes no dead spirit would be thought to have, and said, "Would you tell him that I said good-bye? I know he's not really a person...I know he has an eye in his forehead...but can you tell him that I think it's really neat? Can you tell him that I had fun playing piano with him?"

Botan had seen the file. She knew that this boy's sister was named Yukina; she knew that news like this would dishearten even Hiei. But she nodded anyway, and as time warped back to its normal pace, she delivered him to Spirit World.

Yusuke watched Hiei as he replied nonchalantly and left the room. That sort of experience was precisely what he was _working for_, and yet Hiei was blessed with the knowledge and didn't even care. It was something that required a detective-detour.

"Hey! Get back here!" Yusuke yelled, following Hiei out into the hallway. The remaining three stayed inside, universally deciding that staying out of it was best.

"Hiei!" the detective shouted. Hiei stopped cold, neglecting to turn around and dignify his comrade with any sort of response.

"You know, we're all a little sick of your crap," Yusuke ranted, "You constantly act like you don't give a shit about anything or any_one_."

"Why don't you speak for yourself, Detective," Hiei retorted, turning full swing to face him head on, "_You're_ the only one who is "sick" of me. And _you're_ the one who doesn't care about anything or anyone."

Yusuke clenched a fist; "You're wrong. That's the whole reason I agreed to do this crap for Koenma. Because I give a flying fuck about people who were close to me. What about you?"

Hiei perked a warning eyebrow up; "What do you _mean_, Yusuke?"

"Well, let's see..." said Yusuke as he rested on his heel; seemingly indifferent; "Well, you're only here because you're being punished for being a selfish brat and stealing something for yourself. Hmm. Yes. You care so much about everyone."

Yusuke was suddenly thrown against the alabaster of the hallway. The collar of his shirt was clutched tightly between the slender fingers of Hiei's hand. Through gritted teeth, Hiei growled, "You don't know _anything_; not one thing at all!"

"_Yusuke!_" Kurama snapped, poking his head out the doorway, "Shouldn't we allow Botan to finish?"

* * *

They were nearly at their destination. Botan had finally explained that their next case involved the life of twenty year old high-school drop-out.

"Spirit World was picking up spikes of aura in that section, and placed an incognito counsellor on the job," she had said.

Hiei walked ahead of the group, acting as if he knew the city by heart, and Kuwabara trailed a few feet behind, chattering on the phone with his sister. Yusuke found the perfect opportunity to investigate.

"Psst, Kurama," he whispered, sidling over to his long-haired friend, "I gotta ask you something but I don't want anyone to hear."

"About Hiei?" Kurama presumed.

"Yeah...what's that ruby thing and Royal Belt of Mess do?"

"The Essence Ruby necklace and the Royal Belt of M'Hasshir?" Kurama quickly corrected him, "Well..."

"Yeah? So?" urged Yusuke, watching as the distance between them and their case melted.

"The Essence Ruby is just a beautiful and rare gem, much like the gems that Yu... she is able to cry." Yusuke nodded, more curious as to why this belt had to be labeled as royal.

"The belt belongs in Koenma's family, and it was crafted by his cousin; the demi-god M'Hasshir."

Yusuke was quickly losing interest. He sighed, expecting his suspicions to be true, and remarked, "That's it?"

Kurama shook his head to the sides, "No. The belt is traditionally worn by royalty and higher-ups of Spirit World when they marry; which mind you; isn't often due to their lifespan."

"Ah...oh shit!" exclaimed Yusuke, "Does that mean Hiei wants to _marry_ Mukuro?" From ahead, Hiei glanced back, certain he had heard what he thought he did, but then stared forward in an attempt to ignore it. Neither of them would understand anyhow.

"Eer, no," said Kurama as he corrected Yusuke once more, "They are not an item. The belt has a certain power. It is supposed to lead the wearer away from temptation."

"Ah...so Koenma's family must be filled with horny apparitions." Kurama chuckled at Yusuke's joke, since it was most likely the truth behind the powers of the belt.

Kuwabara hung up his phone, and waited as the two caught up to him, only to ask, "Hey, Urameshi? Shizuru might be coming out here sometime soon, though she wouldn't say why."

"Oh yeah!" As Yusuke rambled with excitement, Kurama casually left the otherwise irrelevant conversation and fell in step with Hiei.

"So what do you plan to do with them?" a bold Kurama began.

"Hn," Hiei groaned, having heard the entire conversation between Yusuke and the fox.

"Ah, I see." Kurama grinned a second before Hiei glared at him.

"Must we do this?" he asked, agitated.

The fox let forth a breath held in by his incessant and inner giggling and responded, "Do what?"

"This," said Hiei, shoving his hands into his pockets, "Where you say something knowing I won't answer, and you call it conversation by claiming you know what I would have said anyway."

"No," said he with sarcasm, "I think that perhaps you would have preferred both Yusuke _and_ Kuwabara to hear _exactly_ what was going on in your head." He chuckled, "Am I right?"

"Shut up," barked Hiei, "We're here."

The ensemble gazed up at a towering and dirty brick apartment building, ripe with peeling paint and all sorts of safety violations. The three natives wondered exactly how such a place would have gone unnoticed by the local zoning authorities, then again, perhaps there was a bit of corruption surrounding the building itself.

"What do we gotta do?" Kuwabara asked as they stepped up the cracked concrete of the entrance.

Yusuke opened the wooden door and remarked, "There's no way to explain it. We just gotta do what we gotta do."

After two flights of creaking steps, they came upon their destined apartment, and knocked. A frail girl with charcoal outlines around her eyes answered meekly.

"Can I help you?"

"Yeah," Yusuke began, "We're here about the angel complaint."

"Oh," she shyed away, ushering them inside, "My name is Kiriko. Come in." They introduced themselves as they had done at the mansion and accepted the offer of entrance.

Their heels clicked softly on the aged hardwood floors; it was like they were walking on hardened bog water. The apartment itself smelled of age and smoke, reminiscent of a forest fire.

"Nice place..." Kuwabara muttered politely. The girl smiled weakly and then showed them her room.

It was desolate; a single Western mattress sans box spring sat on an area rug, and next to the bed was a wicker nightstand. In the corner was a small pile of clothing that rested on an antique dresser with peeling finish. A few cans of mixed soda flavors lined the windowsill.

"So what exactly is occurring, Miss Kiriko?" Kurama asked.

"Well..." she began, taking a seat on her bed, "At night I'll be laying here, and I can see a being, blacker than black, standing in my clothes. I feel like it's watching me. Like it's waiting to take me away..." She shivered as a chill ran through her body and stated, "Even right now I feel like it is behind me, just waiting for the night to come. Waiting for me to sleep. So I don't sleep...and when I catch myself in a nap I wake up."

"So why do you believe that this _presence_ is an angel?" Hiei asked. The group looked at each other with unease; they hadn't sensed a thing...so how was it that Hiei implied he had?

She sighed. Was Hiei a heathen? Did he not believe in the Grace of God?

"Well, what else could it be?" she said as fervently as her meek self could, "A demon? God sends his angels to watch over us, to guide us, and to take us away when our time has come."

Hiei smirked, "So what is that you want us to do? Tell God that your time hasn't come? Get rid of the angel? Or figure out how you're going to die?"

"Hiei!" Yusuke exclaimed, pushing in front of him, "What he means is...uhh..."

"I guess I'm not sure. I don't understand why I would die. I think it is an imposter. The Angel of Death is not supposed to be that way."

Yusuke face twitched at the run-around; "So you believe that it may be a demon?"

"I...I don't know..." She let out a dense breath. She felt like she was under a magnifying glass!

"Can we take a look around? Perhaps there is something that draws this being to you that we may be able to find."

"N-no!" she stammered, paranoid, "Can we just talk a bit, maybe?"

"Sure," replied Yusuke, "How about telling me why you started using?" This time, group's eyes were on him. They should have expected as much from him.

"What?"

"You know," he said, "Using. Like drugs."

Yusuke knew all of the signs. He had known squatters before, and he knew of users who were extremely paranoid. For as much as he knew, the girl was using some sort of hallucinogen. He pressed further, until she finally gave in, falling limp on her bed.

She explained that her family disowned her when she had quit high school, saying that she didn't deserve to run their business in the future. It was the classic case of falling in with the wrong crowd; and Yusuke knew this because she had mentioned some 'clubs' that he was more than familiar with.

"So, you believe that this being is an angel?" Kurama veered back.

She paused; "Yes...I guess...or maybe not..."

"Well, you don't really live here, right?" questioned a thought-filled Kuwabara, "Like, you're kind of an intruder? Maybe it's a spirit that doesn't want you here, ya know?"

The addict frowned; "Maybe...but would you mind staying the night? Maybe I'm just crazy...maybe I'm seeing things..."

A bitter 'heh' of sarcasm came from Yusuke's lips as he muttered, "Yeah, drugs'll do that to ya."

"We'll be glad to help you out," spoke Kurama gently, placing a scathing hand upon the detective's shoulder.

"Okay..." said Kiriko, checking a tattered watch on her hand, "I need to go meet a friend...you guys can meet me back here if you want...or just stay here. It doesn't matter...whatever..."

"We'll stay here," Yusuke stated.

"Just don't go through my stuff..." was the meek reply, "I don't have a lot...I get robbed...I just don't like it..." With the last breath she left the bedroom as well as the "vacant" apartment.

Upon sensing that final step out of the place, Yusuke nodded at Hiei and remarked, "Okay." Hiei took the cue and followed her with stealth, although he wouldn't necessarily need it. A puzzled thought wandered through Kurama's head; how was it that the two barely got along lately, and were able to revert to their wavelengths of yore?

"What the hell are ya doing, Urameshi?" Kuwabara shouted, predicting that his friend's next move was to break their silent vow to Kiriko and snoop through her things.

A moment of struggling with a warped dresser drawer proved successful; and after tossing a small plastic bag of marijuana on the floor, he remarked, "Duh, finding the stuff that's fucking her up." A pair of pink satin panties descended casually, causing Kuwabara to blush.

"Hey! That isn't right!" He ran over to pull the detective's arm out of the drawer, but alas, he could not. Another baggie; this time filled with white powder; hit the floor. It took time to bounce off of Kuwabara's foot before spilling over the absorbent floor boards.

"Hm, no hallucinogens," uttered Yusuke, sure of himself that he'd be able to find something. After all, once he thought he had seen a crocodile eating his curtains every night. Needless to say, his curtains were often hit with weak bullets of energy and he eventually resorted to throwing the drapes away.

"Damn it," he cursed one final time, having found nothing but the basic drugs, "I guess we'll just have to sit around here and wait for something to happen." The three moved to the empty living room and sat down on the roughed up mats set around a closed cardboard box to do just that; wait.

In the meantime, Hiei's side-mission was successful; and he was beginning to hate himself more and more as the days went on. The things he did for those he cared about...it was killing him, leaving his stomach tight and his ribs bent.

There was no doubt in his mind that Yusuke's suspicion was correct; the girl had gone out to do a deal. But _what_ she had purchased...that...that made the self-inflicted pain of his wrapped hatred ache even more.

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

A "squatter" is someone who basically lives in an abandoned or vacant home without buying the property or paying rent. Sort of like a vagrant.

Also, Kiriko and Saiki have both appeared in other stories of mine.


	7. The Angel of Death: Act II

**Disclaimer:** _Yu Yu Hakusho_ © Yoshihiro Togashi. Black Suicide © Zelia Theb.

* * *

**Black Suicide**

A _Yu Yu Hakusho_ Fan-Fiction

By Zelia Theb

* * *

_Our detective is once again is at odds with Hiei, and still smiling like a schoolgirl at the mere mention of Shizuru; who told her younger brother that she was planning on visiting them soon. However, Yusuke and Hiei are soon back on the same wavelength, when their latest case brings them to the supposed home of a young woman. The pieces are falling into place…_

* * *

**The Angel of Death: Act II**

Kuwabara finally gave in and allowed Yusuke the honor of being dishonorable, and returned to the other room to play catch up with Kurama. It wasn't long before Hiei returned; conveniently using a window to enter.

"So?" Yusuke asked swiftly. Hiei glanced beyond the doorway, into the empty room where the two redheads sat, then sniffed the air before responding.

"Hn. She should be here in a few minutes, though not the same."

"So she made a deal, and used on the way here?"

"You're right. She must be a complete fool."

"Heh. Yeah. I mean, even if _we_ were idiots, we'd be able to figure out that she's actin' different. Guess we'll have to call her on it once she gets ba-"

"No," Hiei warned, catching Yusuke before he could finish and tell the others, "Wait."

"Hmm?" An expression of interest crossed Yusuke's face as he stepped closer.

"You might want to know what she received." Hiei's face remained unchanging.

"You don't mean…" replied the detective.

"Just be careful," Hiei said, gaze shifting quickly to the floor as the other stepped away. His eyes returned to their normal position; which was now staring at the back of Yusuke's turned head; and he remarked, "This could have been you."

Yusuke did not turn, but instead answered truthfully, "It _was_ me."

Hiei stood still; serious; "I _know_."

That shocked the fallen leader. If he knew, why was nagging him? Better yet, _why_ did he know? Had he been under the same wing of protection as Yukina? Yusuke shrugged it off, shaking his head, and walked into the other room.

Kuwabara looked up from his engrossing conversation; one which had left Kurama in smiles; and asked, "What's up, Urameshi? Find anything else?"

"Not exactly," said friend began, giving room for the presence that followed him to finish.

"It is the Yogore leaf, or something made of it."

Kurama quickly stood, along with Kazuma. The connections had been set in place, and; just as Botan had mentioned; all of these cases were suddenly molecules binding together in a chemical reaction.

"So, it's kinda like what you said, huh Urameshi?" the tallest interjected, "That it was beta or something?" Yusuke smirked with satisfaction, that is, until Kurama began to explain what he knew of the dangerous and _very foreign_ plant.

"It's a hallucinogen, with the same after effects as Ecstasy."

"Ain't that something killing off a bunch of kids in the U.S.?" inquired a curious Kuwabara.

Kurama nodded. "And it did the same for demons."

Hiei interrupted, having something cocky to add to the conversation. "Demons are a lot smarter than humans. They left it alone."

A sigh escaped Kurama as he continued, "The original intent was to use it as an enhancement. It completely failed. So now it is used as a poison in the less…_civilized_…areas of the Demon World. Power hungry village lords will use it to murder the head of a household, thus taking over their plots of land."

"Hn," Hiei grunted, "Primitive."

Kuwabara exhaled after scratching his head. "Kinda like the times of the Shogun…"

"So why the hell are humans using it, and why do half of them have all of these powers suddenly?" inquired the detective, who also had another question on his mind. Where had Hiei; watcher of the portal between the two worlds; been?

But even more importantly, was it just Saiki? Or was the Yogore leaf part of this "Black Suicide" the media has been talking about? Even so, things were happening _outside_ of Akuryou city. The murders at the mansion; yes; he remembered the headline he had read as Koenma entered his office. Orion? How on _Earth_ could he explain that? The narcotic had been used there too.

"I'm uncertain, Yusuke," Kurama answered, "But surely we have all figured out the pattern here." The silent trio nodded; "So our next step would be…"

"To use the girl and trace the dealer," finished Yusuke, shoving his hands into his pockets. As he fiddled with the object inside, the team heard the door knob turn, and collectively prepared for whatever would come next.

Kiriko's eyes were clearly glazed over, unusually drained of their color. Like tiny black pearls inset

into her skull. Yet she greeted them all as if nothing had occurred on her outing. It wasn't until she stepped into her bedroom; as instructed by the sly Kurama; that Kuwabara blocked the exits, thus alerting her to a confrontation.

"Wh-what?" she questioned with anxiety. Backing up, her legs hit the sides of her mattress, bending her knees and toppling her over.

"We may have found the cause of your visits, Kiriko," Kurama stated.

"Oh…oh," she sighed, "So…what are you going to do?" She gazed up at the quartet, and while still _paranoid_ that they knew, she was unaware of her obviously different physical appearance.

"Spend the night here, like you said, and wait for it," said the dark-haired detective.

"Okay…"

* * *

Yusuke woke from his half-asleep daze as a soft mass hit his shoulder. He cursed himself silently for falling asleep, and looked around the room. Kuwabara had fallen asleep against the door to the apartment, and Kurama was leaning with his head back, seemingly awake, not too far from Kuwabara. Hiei was resting on his own shoulder, and it was a rather strange gesture to him. He didn't know if somehow Hiei had exhausted himself during the surveillance over Kiriko's deal or not, but there was something that definitely had him drained.

Hiei _was_ attached to Saiki, and now the boy was dead. Was this how he reacted in mourning? One boy he knew for less than a day could not affect him this much, could it? But, thinking back, Yusuke didn't remember Hiei sleeping too much, especially not on this string of new missions.

Did he miss Mukuro? No…well…maybe. Kurama had told Yusuke that Hiei and Mukuro were not an item. It made sense, really, aside from the fact that Hiei had issues with women. Just because someone finds their place in the world does not automatically mean that romance ensues. After all, Yusuke found his place in the world through _death_.

But Hiei had been abnormally crabby to him lately. The detective could understand that, only if somehow over-night he had magically transformed into his best friend. However, he _hadn't_, and that is why Hiei's attitude seemed so strange to him.

"You know," Kurama said quietly from across the room, "You haven't been entirely nice to him either."

"H-how-" stuttered Yusuke.

"I can see it in your face," the redhead explained, caring not to go into why he was observing his friend.

"Well, whaddya mean?"

"He's only been trying to help you. You know how he is."

"I guess," Yusuke admitted, "But he's only here because he has to be. Not because he wants to be."

Kurama frowned at his ally's pessimistic attitude. Yusuke really had changed, or reverted, rather. The fox stood, uncomfortable from the vigil, and let out, "Well, if it helps, I want to be here."

Yusuke smiled. "It does."

The friendly moment was broken by the sounds of shifting from the bedroom. Yusuke turned his head and nudged the warm body against his, hoping that the movement would wake him up; since talking to Kurama had not. The fire demon only moved in closer, tickling Yusuke's neck with his wildly untamed strands of hair.

The private-eye chuckled and whispered, "Come on, Hiei. Get up." After another gentle jarring to the demon's side, Hiei's eyes slowly turned to half-lids, and he too cursed just as Yusuke had. In the meantime, Kurama had gotten a rise out of Kuwabara, and seconds later the group had moved for the bedroom.

The sight was unbelievable. The girl sat on the edge of the bed, staring at what may have very well been an entity only she could see, with tears streaming down her face. Locks of hair clung to the moistened skin, and the blade of a sharp knife glistened in her left hand. The weapon of suicide was poised over her wrist, ready to make the deadly incision.

"Wait!" Yusuke yelled, running to the foot of the bed.

"No!" she cried in despair, "It's here again! It's been waiting for me to do this for a long time!"

"But you can't just let something else control your life!" Kuwabara shouted, taking his place next to Yusuke, "You've got to fight back! Everyone has a reason to live!"

"Oh _really_?" she screamed, standing. Her eyes were still the color of a deathly abyss. "Do you know what it's like to live without a true _family_? One that you always have to please but you never can? Do you know?"

Kurama tried to be rational. "We understand, Kiriko, we really d-"

"You _don't_!" she retorted with fervor, "You don't know what it's like to be a homeless outcast! Wandering and wandering! All I would pray for was an angel…an angel who would come and rescue me from this Hell. And this has to be it!"

"It isn't!" Kuwabara answered quickly.

The girl's fists ball up;knife still clenched in the curled fingers, and they fell sternly to her sides in anger. She glared at the group she had hired, and screeched, "Yes! It! Is!" A torrential chill caused by the emotional flare forced the foursome to shield themselves with their forearms. Sure enough, the non-existent entity materialized into a three-dimensional shadow; one that could very well be assumed an angel.

Kuwabara was the first to brave the sight, only to be the first to see Kiriko cut her right wrist. She tried switching hands, in order to mark the other. Without another thought, the honorable Kuwabara dove forward and grabbed her, using one strong hand as a tourniquet for the bleeding, and the other as a means of retrieving the knife from the very same hand.

"No no no no no! Let me go!" she wailed in protest.

"No!" he told her. She took advantage of his gentle, yet passionately strong attempts to hold her back, and backed _him_ into the side of the wall, hoping to hurt him.

The angel was, in the meantime, using all of its might to hold the others in place within the small room. Kurama had been able to produce his rose whip, but the weapon made no contact with the being; due to the fact that it went straight _through_ it.

"This is…" Kurama struggled between the waves of paralysis,"The work of…a manifestation."

Winds whipped around them as they tried in vain to aid Kuwabara, who was guarded since he was so close to the girl. Yusuke could hardly keep his eyes open as the debris of dark energies pelted his face.

"What do you mean, fox?" Hiei seethed. Even his Jagan was of no use, because of the disturbances in the air.

"Kuwabara! Hang in there!" Yusuke yelled.

"Hurry up, Urameshi!" the chiseled one let out.

"It occurs when…something traumatic…happens…" Kurama said, pausing to cough, "The feelings manifest…into something…sometimes it's mistaken for poltergeist activity…"

"Guys! Guys!" Kazuma yelled frantically. Her blood was everywhere, yet somehow she had maintained an enormous amount of strength that someone her size simply shouldn't have had.

"Leave. Me. Alone!"

"No!" was the last sound out of Kuwabara they had heard before the winds ceased, and the black angel had disappeared.

"Kuwabara!" Yusuke cried out, running over to the crimson scene near the bed.

"She…I couldn't…"

Kiriko had struck herself in the chest. The handle of the blade stood perpendicular to her chest, and a deep brick-brown stain surrounded the fatal wound; matching the stains on Kuwabara's hands.

Kurama also came to the aid of Kuwabara, and lifted him from the scene. The tallest's skin had gone cold and pale; he was in shock. No one had ever died in his arms before.

Yusuke took care to snatch Kuwabara's cell, and made a call to the police. But what could he say? They discovered a dirty squatter and watched her kill herself? There was nothing else left to do. Despite what the girl had said, her family would most likely want to know. Plus, they would _have_ to find out whether or not the drug was indeed, Black Suicide.

"Hn. Seems like we're back to step one," Hiei replied, crouching over the fresh corpse.

"How can you say things like that?" Yusuke asked, voice tinged with sadness instead of anger.

"These things happen all of the time. It makes no difference after a while." The demon leaned in, staring into the still opened eyes of the girl. They were normal once again. Taking two fingers, he closed them for her, and then stood to face the detective.

Yusuke placed his friend's phone into his filling pocket. Kurama was right, it was just how Hiei was. With a sigh, he agreed, "So, back to square-one, huh?"

* * *

_"Is he hurt?"_

"No," he said into the phone, "Just a bit shaken up."

_"I'll take the first train tomorrow morning."_

Yusuke smiled, and said, "Well, Shizuru, as much as I'll admit that I'd love to see you a day earlier, you don't have to go out of your way."

The female voice on the other end giggled. _"Don't worry. My baby bro needs someone to look after him and then kick his ass back into gear before you all go back out to save the world."_

"Heh, okay," the blushing man concurred, "At least let me convince Koenma to pay your way."

There was a pause. _"Don't worry about it. I've got it covered. I'll see you boys tomorrow morning."_

"All right. See ya Shizuru."

_"Bye, Yusuke."_

Yusuke hung up the room phone. "Hope ya don't mind sharing a room, Botan."

"Oh," the chipper girl replied, "Not at all! It'll be nice to see her again!"

The detective ran a hand through his hair and smirked. "Yeah, I agree!" He took the empty seat between her and Kurama, who were both watching the local news and sipping coffee. He reached for his previously abandoned cup and took a sip, then turned his head toward the girl again and asked, "So our next case is tomorrow? We've got the day off?"

Botan's face dipped into an angry frown, and she said bitterly, "Well if you can call it a day off with Kuwabara the way he is, then yes! It's _your_ day off!"

He set his cup back onto its plate and narrowed his eyes at her. "That's not what I meant, Botan."

"Oh _please_, Yusuke! Everyone here _knows_ that you're just as selfish as before!"

"Oh, I get it. I'm so selfish. That's why I called his sister to come over and take care of him," Yusuke argued back, "Yeah." He rolled his eyes; "_So_ selfish!"

"You only wanted to find an excuse for your _crush_ to come here a day early! You should be taking care of Kuwabara yourself!" Botan finally put her coffee cup down on the table as well, with force enough to cause the other resting cups to ripple in the center.

"I never said I _wasn't_, and you guys aren't taking care of him either!"

"To be fair, that's because he's bathing, Yusuke." Kurama was quickly given a quick and painful glare.

"Whatever. Who I like and who I don't like and who I used to like make no difference anyway. I'm only doing this for that toddler for one reason _anyway_."

"See?" Botan stopped him, pointing out the obvious, "Selfish!"

"_Whatever_," he growled, "I gotta take a piss. Just leave me alone for the rest of the day, okay?" With that, he stormed off to the bathroom in the room he and Kurama shared, and slammed the door shut. After emptying the contents of his pockets onto the sink basin, and then using the toilet, he let his elbows rest upon the shiny counter top and let his face fall into his palms.

"I really am selfish," he uttered to himself. Botan's words echoed in his head as he cleansed his hands.

_"Everyone here knows that you're just as selfish as before!"_

His hands fell back into their propping position. She was right. Everyone knew. He was truly a fallen leader. And Hiei was beginning to sound right as well. _"It makes no difference after a while."_ Just like saving the world. All of that work as Spirit Detective had made no difference to the millions he had saved, and he could do nothing to save himself from the pain. Even making love to Keiko was not as spectacular and memory wiping as he had believed his whole teenage life.

He was so _wrong_ to convince her that it was all right. She had wanted to wait until after their wedding. Maybe if he had listened, she would have been able to save her innocence for someone who truly deserved it.

But why? Why wasn't Yusuke so affected? He had seen the knife perched within Kiriko's chest. Death no longer bothered him? No, _it didn't_. And _that_ fact alone bothered him. He was becoming far more demonic by the day, wasn't he? But what was the difference? Hiei and Kurama still seemed human, so demon instincts must be very similar. Aside from looks and magical powers, what was really the difference between the two races? Other than the fact that demons consisted of several different species themselves….

It was enough. His thoughts had become to disjointed and random. He lifted his face from his hands and looked at the items on the sink. Kuwabara's cell, marijuana, and cocaine. He had lifted them from Kiriko's apartment, just in case. He didn't want to think about the fact that he had touched it. But…what if? That temptation to take it seized him then. He picked the items up, and separated them between each pocket before leaving the bathroom.

He should have flushed them down the toilet, but he didn't. And that was something he regretted the moment ahe stepped back into the suite.

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

There is a lesson to be learned in this chapter. Someone ALWAYS can understand your problems, but you must be patient and not fall for the tricks of the first poseur to come along. All of the Yu Yu boys have their own darkness and sadness, but Kiriko had immediately dismissed them by doing just what her parents did to her; she didn't take the time to understand them. 


	8. Nightmare Nightclub: Act I

**Warning:** Remember that warning from the first chapter? That I would do whatever I wanted, as I pleased? Shounen-ai, and a dirty word.

**Make sure you read this part before you read the chapter.** I don't want anyone to abandon, or start loving this fic for the wrong reasons. The Shounen-Ai that appears in here has it's reason. It does not mean that it will last for longer than this chapter, or holds any place in the story except to explain one tiny little piece of the plot.

**If you are mad, overly happy, or have questions about why this is in here, please read the Author's Note at the end of the chapter.**

Just remember, that while I claimed anything can and would happen, this portion of the plot has always been in my head. I was basically giving myself space if I suddenly changed my mind. I didn't really venture that far off from the original ideas conceived way back at the publish date.

Anyway, please enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** _Yu Yu Hakusho_ © Yoshihiro Togashi. Black Suicide © Zelia Theb.

* * *

**Black Suicide**

A _Yu Yu Hakusho_ Fan-Fiction

By Zelia Theb

* * *

_Kuwabara goes into shock as the very woman the team had been trying to protect kills herself in his arms. Shizuru; much to Yusuke's pleasure; agrees to visit a day earlier than expected. However, in spite of Yusuke's newfound happiness, and seemingly good terms with Hiei, Botan calls him selfish, throwing the detective into inner turmoil. Will he slip back into the past, where drugs were his only medication?_

* * *

**Nightmare Nightclub: Act I**

Kurama sat back into the headboard. The room he shared with Yusuke was quiet, aside from the quiet sleeping breaths of his friend next to him. How the man was sound asleep, he was not so sure. He was certain that Yusuke would be anxious for the near arrival of Shizuru.

As he gazed upon the muscled sleeping form, Kurama doubted the reasons he had returned to Japan. The postcards weren't enough, nor were the letters he had written to Yusuke from campus. However, the opportunity Botan had presented him in America was literally a Godsend. He had grown bored with pursuing an education, and wanted to return to the life of luxury that he once had; one which granted him the ability to do whatever he pleased, without consequence or hard work. He wanted Yusuke to join him; partly for the expertise, but more so for the companionship.

Originally, he had intentions of staying in Japan. Since he had accepted his life as both a demon and human, it had become increasingly difficult to deal with Yusuke's engagement to Keiko. It pained him to see her kiss him on the beach the day he had returned from the demon world.

So he left. He no longer had the obligation of parole as his excuse to stay, and Koenma had said that Yusuke was to be unemployed anyway. Yet it was one of the worst decisions of his life. He hated college. He hated America. Everything was so regulated, and that feeling of constantly being watched aggravated him. The topper was finding security cameras in the halls of the university, and when he secretly disabled them, thinking it would do no harm, the entire school and its dormitories went under a lock down. The local news claimed that terrorists were behind it, and they began to point out every device in the school's science wing that they speculated these terrorists were after.

They never did discover who was behind it. After all, only one "crazed" student had claimed he felt the presence of a demon, and that the authorities were looking for the wrong sorts of evidence anyway. Kurama held a special place in his heart for that fellow, up until he was finally pulled out of the school for mysteriously failing all of his classes.

He felt sick. Being there was a mistake. Yusuke was clearly head over heels for Kazuma's sister.

* * *

Yusuke sulked all the way to the the site of their latest case; another high-class hotel with an even higher class nightclub adjacent to the lower levels. He and the rest of his allies were busy carrying small luggage from the other hotel, as they were going to stay the night for this one, and return to the other hotel at a later time. Koenma had mentioned that this location may be a hotspot and could possibly "unlock all of the mysteries" once and for all. Oddly enough, Yusuke had been there once before, but being able to recall exactly _when_ or _how_ was more than difficult for him. He chalked it up to being under the influence. Patting his pocket, where he kept the contraband from Kiriko's apartment, he felt that he might not even remember this particular visit either.

After allowing Botan to check them in, they made their way to the sixth floor. Only two rooms were available, and luckily they were diagonally across the hall from each other. Of course, one of them was terribly larger than the other, and because of a growing fear in Botan's stomach, she suggested that herself, Kuwabara, Kurama, should share the largest room, leaving room for Shizuru when she would arrive. Hiei and Yusuke would share the opposite room, mostly due the fact that Botan wanted to force them to get along together.

Koenma had told her to be careful; the owner of both the club and the hotel were the very same person; one Hiroshi Takenawa; whose past was difficult to dig up mostly due to the fact that Koenma was certain that this was a demon in disguise. The Prince knew that Takenawa had been watching Yusuke's activities for a long time, and despite not actually knowing what the team really looked like, Koenma's intelligence agents reported that he was being extra cautious lately.

Botan passed this information along as well, of course, but only because she didn't want Yusuke or Kuwabara accidentally blowing their cover. The two old friends were a tad insulted, but knew that they often did things that were brash and not well thought out, so they got over it quickly. Besides, Shizuru was going to join them later, and they would have to protect her.

When the sun began to set, Yusuke set the team up, claiming that the source of their problem would most definitely be the nightclub. They dressed appropriately, mostly in black and not such detective-like clothing, and went to the club. Botan, Hiei, and Kuwabara surveyed the dance floor; a place rather unusual for someone like Hiei to be; and Kurama joined Yusuke at the counter, mostly keeping his eye on him.

"What'll you have?" asked the bartender. His appearance was demanding, heavy-set, and confident. And almost a little too old for the crowd the bar drew in. Still, he wasn't all that old, probably no older than Kurama's mother.

Before "sake" could escape Yusuke's mouth, Kurama had ordered two waters. The bartender just eyed them warily, and muttered something about taking up counter space.

"Well then," Kurama interjected in reply to the snooty bar-keep, "I'll have the feature drink, then."

The man grinned eerily, and announced, "One Nightmare, coming up." Yusuke watched him as he grabbed a glass. First he poured in something clear, then something blue. He added a spritz of something from a smaller bottle, and then topped it with a tropical yellow umbrella before handing it off to Kurama.

"Ya gonna pay now or should I start ya a tab?" the man grunted.

"Tab, please, until the end of the night." The man nodded and walked away to speak with one of the other employees.

As far as Yusuke could tell, the place was the same. He couldn't remember that particular drink, though, but then again, he didn't remember much of anything that happened when he had come here. He watched with interest as Kurama took a meager and careful sip of the obviously foreign influenced drink, and then set it down to stir it with his umbrella.

"Shall we move to one of the booths along the wall? We can see the others best from there," suggested the redhead.

Yusuke concurred quickly. "We can also see the entrance if Shizuru comes in." With little protest, Kurama nodded, and the two made their way away from the counter. They sat down, and Kurama let his chin rest upon his knuckles and stared off into the distance. His other hand stirred the drink in circles, while occasionally picking it up for a drink.

The silence, despite the heavy musical remixes playing over the place, was bothering Yusuke, as was Kurama's behavior. He exhaled heavily, hoping that it might break Kurama's concentration on the air hanging above everyone's heads, and it worked.

"Hmm?" Kurama said, one eye turned toward his friend.

"What's up?" inquired Yusuke, as if they were greeting each other on the street after a few days of not seeing each other.

"Nothing at all." Green focused upon the empty space once more. "You?"

Yusuke twitched. "Nothing. Just wondering why my friend is acting the same way he did when we all held that going away party for him."

That eye was back again, at least for the moment he spoke. "It is not the same way."

The detective smiled, having gotten around the other man's excuse. It wasn't often that Kurama showed any emotion, but when he did, Yusuke was usually the only one around; and quick to notice.

"So you admit that you are acting weird, though."

Kurama took another drink of the beverage and turned, his attention turned fully on to the person across from him.

"It is nothing, Yusuke."

A rejected breath whisked through Yusuke's lips. He checked the door for Shizuru, then briefly checked the status of Kurama's drink. Empty. He was already waving a server over to the table.

"Since when do you drink? Was it good?"

"Not really," answered the other, eyeing the table, "It's free."

"Man, listen. I-"

"Want another?" assumed the server Kurama had waved over.

"Please. I have a tab at the counter. Can that be billed to my room?"

The server nodded, producing a pad of paper and a pen from the front pockets of his half apron. "Here. Write the room number down on this." Kurama quickly scrawled said information, and the server nodded again, and informed them as he walked away, "I'll be right back. A second Nightmare comin' right up."

"Damn, what's with you?" seethed the detective.

"I am contemplating whether or not to return to school," said Kurama, burning holes into the table with angry eyes.

"Thought you were gonna be a cat-burglar?" Yusuke replied playfully.

"There would be no one to share it with."

"Huh? Don't you have-"

"That would put them in danger."

"I don't get it."

"That's fine, you wouldn't," insinuated an increasingly bitter Kurama, whose eyes began digging into Yusuke, "It's not as if we even knew each other outside of cases for you to understand."

Yusuke's mouth formed an "O", while his eyebrows formed a "V". "That's not true!" The waiter returned with Kurama's drink, and left just as quickly.

Again, Kurama sipped at it. "I know it isn't, Yusuke. But people have a habit of not telling the truth."

Yusuke wasn't sure if Kurama knew of his drug addiction, then. But Kurama assured him that this was not the case when he added, "And silly me, I actually believed you. And still believed you until I saw you again." He pointed an index finger down hard into the table. "Here. For these cases."

Yusuke should have expected this. Kurama wasn't a heartless bastard.

He had always known that. From that moment they met, he had realized it. And once Keiko had been recovered, Yusuke had asked Kurama to call him once the whole ordeal with Koenma was over.

And it was over sooner than he had thought it would be. However, Yusuke never received a phone call, having run into Kurama accidentally on a major street one day.

Kurama told him that Koenma had placed him on probation, provided that he helped them on future cases if needed. Yusuke shrugged the information off, once Kurama realized that he wasn't sure if that information was confidential for the time being, and then asked if the boy wanted to do something. Kurama reminded him of his human name; Shuichi Minamino; and remarked that he had homework to attend to, but he was welcome to share dinner with him, since his mother was away in Osaka for a seminar.

They spoke of minor things; how Yusuke normally ditched school, and how Shuichi normally attended it. He told Yusuke more about his mother, and how she met the current love of her life.

"It's kinda weird when people who work together get involved, isn't it?" Yusuke had said.

The next day, the young Minamino sat beneath a tree, reading a book during his lunch hour. He thought he heard something come from the brick wall only a few feet away, and looked over to see Yusuke's head and fingers peering over it.

Shuichi closed his book and walked to the solid fence. "Yusuke? Skipping class, are we?"

"Uh huh," he breathed exasperatedly, "Can't get my footing, either. Got a sec?"

The young beau thought for a brief moment, and glanced around to make sure no one was watching. He didn't want to spoil his reputation with the headmaster. In a second, he leapt into the air and landed on top of the fence, then let himself fall gracefully to the opposite side. Yusuke dropped too, with that same grace of a martial artist, and smirked.

"Wanna do somethin'?"

Kurama's face said, "Are you crazy?" but his mouth said, "Are you insane? In the middle of the school day?"

"_Come on, Kurama!_" the shorter-haired teen whined, "Let's _do_ something! I'm bored."

Kurama shook his head negatively.

"But we just got a new Famicom and one of the older games for it with the insurance money."

"Which game?"

"Metroid."

And Shuichi was convinced to leave his duties and went to Yusuke's house to play.

"Where's your mother? At work?" asked the boy when they arrived.

"Not in Osaka, that's for sure. More like O-Sake."

"Ah, I see..."

Yusuke shrugged. "Meh. She's not home. Just means ya don't have to meet her."

Kurama learned then, that Yusuke was not that good at playing video games. But their friendship was cut short, for the time being. Yusuke had gone off to Genkai's for training. After Maze Castle, when the two met up again, Yusuke came around again, but this time later at night.

Shuichi heard a tap on his window and looked up from his homework. He shook his head and smiled before getting up to open the window. It was ten o'clock already. His mother was already in bed.

"Hey," Yusuke beamed, shoes already off and placed on the windowsill, "How's it goin'?"

"Fairly well," answered the other quietly, "How is Keiko? I can't imagine what it must have been like for her to go through what she did, and not knowing the cause."

"She's okay. And pissed at me for disappearing on her and her movie."

"I see. You care for her a lot though, yes?"

"I guess you could say that."

"Hm. I see," blinked Kurama, "She's your girlfriend?"

"Eer. What? I dunno..."

Night after night, Yusuke would visit him. Until one day, Kurama finally became annoyed.

"I'll never get any work done, you know," stated Kurama blankly.

Yusuke answered, "You're cute when you pout."

Of course Kurama, having not experienced much as Shuichi since he had feared for his friends' safety, was blushing. "'Scuse me?" he asked, pondering the words in his head.

"Come over here," Yusuke requested, taking a seat upon Kurama's bed. Kurama complied, curious, and Yusuke forced him to sit in front of him. "Tense?" the detective asked as he placed his hands on Kurama's shoulders.

"Of course I am," the studious teen answered, as if to psychically imply that it was due to Yusuke's sudden change in demeanor.

The brown-eyed boy swept Kurama's soft hair over his left shoulder, and then began to work his fingers gently into the slender muscled shoulders. Kurama's scent was intoxicating. Moments passed before the long-locked teen became relaxed, and as he leaned back into Yusuke, he found himself in a warm embrace.

With his head now on Kurama's shoulder, and several strands of scarlet hair nearly in his mouth, he murmured, "I like you, Kurama. Even if it's wrong or weird, I can't help it."

"It's not wrong," Kurama whispered in return, leaning into the one who held him.

Yusuke sighed in defeat. "It is, 'cause a lot of people seem to care for some reason. I mean, it's not like I don't love girls. I just don't put boundaries on anything, ya know?" Kurama smiled, and leaned forward just that extra necessary inch.

And the music blared on.

"You came to my room night after night, Yusuke. We kissed. For the Universe's sake, Yusuke, we nearly made lo-"

"I-I know," the detective answered, "But why does this have to come up now?" It was times like this when Yusuke could not believe that Kurama was such an infamous and ruthless thief of the Demon World.

"I had only come back in hopes that you would join me."

"Robbing museums? I'm actually kinda set in my line of work, man."

The angered and tipsy fox finished his drink. He set the glass down and continued to play with the umbrella.

"You said you loved me," Kurama stated.

"I did," admitted Yusuke, "And I meant it, then. So what the hell happened?"

"You got _engaged_, Yusuke," uttered Kurama with a slight growl, "You finally get around to getting something you wanted and week later you leave."

"Damn," cursed the scrutinized one, "You sure are possessive." A positively pain inflicting gaze was shot at him, to which he argued, "And _you_ went to America!"

"Because _you_ got engaged!" And the umbrella twirled right out of his slender fingers and onto the dance floor, only to be crushed by one of the club patrons.

A red searchlight passed over the table, and as the two stared each other down, Yusuke noticed something rather unusual. A gray hair? He reached over the table, shocking Kurama; since he believed Yusuke was going to make a rather bold apology. Instead of kissing Kurama, though, he took a few strands of hair, and asked, "Are you stressed because you're going prematurely gray?"

"What?" Kurama slightly shouted, insulted, "Are you trying to avoid the problem?"

"I'm dead serious, Kurama," Yusuke assured him, "And I don't mean in the get resurrected a few days later kind of way, either. Just look."

After observing the chunk of hair for a few moments, the fox remarked, "Oh dear. I need to leave and lie down." He quickly stood and made his way to a lesser traveled corridor, and Yusuke pursued him. He knew that something wasn't right with the whole situation.

Yusuke found his friend in the men's restroom, which oddly enough, wasn't occupied by anyone else, and wasn't exactly the best place to "lie down". Kurama was staring at the mirror with his hands placed on each edge of the only sink.

"Didn't know you could get drunk off of only two drinks, but man, that isn't exactly the place to, ya know-"

"Yusuke, something is terribly wrong," he interrupted, "You need to inform the others. I just didn't believe the effects would take so soon."

It clicked. "That drink. Nightmare. You did that on purpose." Yusuke mused for a moment. "But how did you know?"

Kurama flinched. "I could taste it. I thought I could withstand the effects, or help us... Yusuke. Please go get the others. I need to go to the room before people start wondering why I'm growing and have a tail popping out of my shirt."

Yusuke looked at Kurama's posterior. Yep, still firm. But no tail.

"Nothin' yet. Just be careful on your way there. We'll be up in a few." Kurama nodded, and the two left, parting ways in the corridor.

Yusuke was met with a surprise on the dance floor. Hiei was albeit disinterested, but Kuwabara and Botan were speaking excitedly with Shizuru. The detective got overanxious, and nearly forgot about his afflicted ally for a moment.

"Nice to see you too, Yusuke," smiled the slim brunette, "But I can tell that something's going on. What happened?"

On cue, Botan and the others looked to Yusuke for an answer. He explained, "Kurama's transforming, but on accident. I told him we would meet him back at the room."

"On accident?" the younger Kuwabara queried, "Whaddya mean?"

"Hn. Just what we were looking for, Kuwabara," stated a cocky Hiei, "Come on, let's go."

"Yes, Shizuru!" remembered Botan, "You can see what room we are all staying in. Yusuke and Hiei are sharing the smaller of the rooms, but you're going to stay with us, that's for sure."

The other woman's face went long. Delaying herself on purpose, she finally said, "Yeah, about that, Botan..."

That whiny tenor voice intruded upon the conversation.

"Sir?" exclaimed Botan, looking up to greet the voice, "But why are you here?"

A grown Koenma briefly touched the headband over his forehead before taking hold of Shizuru's hand and answering, "Meeting my lady, Botan. We have arrangements to discuss." With that said, the group knew that something _not good_ was about to happen.

"I'll go to Kurama..." the Grim Reaper uttered, hoping to avoid the situation, "Meet you upstairs."

Within the irises of Yusuke reflected the flames of hate and betrayal. He scowled. "What do you mean by that, Koenma." It was less of a question and more of a warning.

"Arrangements, Yusuke. For our wedding." The pale prince turned to the seemingly uninterested Hiei, and expressed, "I hope you've found that little item you seem to have misplaced Hiei." The demon merely echoed the annoyance in his head.

"Sorry, guys," the amber-eyed brunette apologized, "I wanted to stay longer, but this all came up so suddenly."

"I'll say," Yusuke glowered in response.

"It's okay, love. There are escorts outside, as well as Ayane," Koenma mentioned, "I will be there in a moment."

"Isn't it a little _dangerous_ for you to be here?" Hiei snickered as Shizuru left the scene.

"It is," answered the detective, his temper and energy noticeably flaring.

"Yusuke..." Koenma pleaded.

"I should have known that you'd pull something shady like that." Again, Koenma tried to beg for Yusuke to listen to him, but the man would not hear it. Instead, he slugged him square in the left portion of his jaw, and shouted, "So that's what you needed the belt for! Selfish bastard!"

Kuwabara gripped onto Yusuke before he could cause any more problems. Koenma stood firmly, having been knocked off balance from the attack seconds ago. A crowd was already beginning to form around the scene, much like ants to sugar, but instead hoping for more blood to ease their curiosity.

His boss patted his cheek and noted, "Yusuke, that is only the second time you have hit me, and both times I've deserved it."

"Damn straight," the detective snarled, watching Koenma fade into the already dispersing and disappointed crowd. Violently, he wrestled away from Kuwabara, and harshly shrugged before allowing himself to abscond to the corridors connected to the hotel.

Hiei too, faded as he followed, and Kuwabara was left alone with complete strangers. A tap on the shoulder caused him to spin around, and he was greeted by a rather pretty girl with a nose piercing.

"That guy reminds me of this boy from my old school that everyone was afraid of." The girl had one too many drinks in her system, that was apparent.

"Uh, I went to that school too, ya know. I'm the great Kuwabar-" Another tap on his shoulder, this time a male with chin and brow piercing.

"I know 'im too." And a tongue piercing. The man turned to the girl, and said, "'E came in 'ere a few times; said 'e was from outta town. That's where you're from?" The girl nodded. Kuwabara still couldn't place the face with a name, though.

"Ya, I dunno about 'im. 'e and I had a good time though. Didn't think 'e'd get all pissy about a girl."

"Were you guys like, drug buddies or something?" asked Kuwabara naively, having asked only to find out the truth behind his friend's recent past. He was not expecting the other half of the answer, though.

The man grinned in reflection. "S'pose you could say that." This sparked interest in Kuwabara's former female classmate. "For that night, yeah." Kuwabara twitched as the man tapped him again. "'Ey. Could you let 'im know that I'm up for a good time again? I'm stayin' at the same place, just around the corner."

Kazuma's apparent lack of knowledge about Yusuke's activities had become apparent, even to the drunk. The man said, "Aw, never mind, man. Yusuke could barely remember my name the next mornin'. Done one too many lines, along with too many other things, if ya know what I mean." He sighed. "'E's got a nice cock though."

"Wha?" Kuwabara choked.

The girl laughed.

"Ah. You're just a friend," the man figured, before chuckling again with the more than slightly buzzed woman and walking with her to the bar.

When Kuwabara had finally made it to the room, Yusuke was no where in sight. Botan and Hiei were there, discussing case matter with a fully transformed and very silver Youko Kurama. He asked where Urameshi was, and they told him that Yusuke basically went across the hall to his room.

"So what happened, Kurama?" he asked. He was hoping that he could get a quick explanation, so that he could try and catch Urameshi for a friendly interrogation.

"The Yogore leaf, that drug produced with it," the human-turned-demon "I suspected at one point during the night that it might be contained within the club's feature drink. Apparently, I was correct, as one of the effects seems to be that it brings out, well, demonic features within someone."

"Drugs, huh," mused Kuwabara, taking a seat next to the fluffy-tailed fox, "Maybe this ain't such a good place to be then, huh?"

Botan cocked her head to the side like a confused animal. "What do you mean Kuwabara?"

He responded, "Urameshi. Did he used to...ya know, use 'em?"

The girl stuttered in face of the invading and utterly serious question. "I-I...I'm not sure. I can't exactly check his file unless he were to-" She stopped, not wanting to think of that. Yusuke was like her brother, even if they hadn't been so close over the past few years. His death scared her, and she knew that she wasn't allowed to feel that way.

"I think he did, Kuwa," Kurama mentioned. His now honey eyes moved to Hiei, whose arms were crossed and face obviously in deep thought. "Hiei?"

"Hn?"

"Would you keep an eye on him?" Kurama pleaded. He had already done enough damage tonight, and if he himself were to go "baby-sit" Yusuke, then perhaps it would drive him away all that much more. Needless to say, Kurama felt as if the drink had forced him to say things he never should have said, at least not at the time. And what were they to do once they returned to the other hotel? Change rooms? And for what reason? Would it alert the others to their situation?

The fire demon agreed to the request with a shake of his head, giving temporary relief to his comrades. They trusted that Hiei would not take any of Yusuke's bull, and would do what he could to prevent him from doing anything stupid.

Then again, Botan was afraid of Hiei at the same time. He and Yusuke had been at odds almost the entire time they'd been reunited; and Hiei held the key to Koenma's world now. It would go against Spirit World law to marry without the Royal Belt.

Hiei entered their small room and locked the door behind him. Yusuke was sitting on the bed, with his eyes closed and head within his hands.

"What are you doing here?" Yusuke demanded wearily.

Hiei removed his shoes, revealing unfaded black tabi socks. He gave his usual caustic sort of response. "This is my room too, Yusuke."

The downtrodden man stood impatiently from the bed, moving toward the bathroom. He mumbled, "Yeah, since when do you ever get proper sleep," and shut the door behind him.

"Maybe since _forever_, Detective," he shouted at the door, "Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean that it doesn't happen."

"_Whatever,_" was the muffled response. Hiei soon heard the running of water and assumed that Yusuke was showering. He stayed silent in the room, thinking of nothing other than the events of the day, and what to do about them, until he realized the reality of his own words.

_"Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean that it doesn't happen."_

But before he could stop what he couldn't see, Yusuke emerged from the bathroom, somewhat dry and with a white terrycloth towel wrapped around his waist.

"What?" he questioned in response to the way that Hiei was apparently glaring at him.

"Do you want to know what happened to the belt, Detective?"

A vexing expression coated Yusuke's brow. "Huh?"

"The belt," Hiei clarified, "That Koenma is so adamant in finding."

"That Royal Belt?" Yusuke scoffed, "Tch. He just wants it so he can stop himself from sinning before marriage. The bastard."

"Hn. So Kurama _did_ speak to you of it's value," noted the demon, coming closer to the detective, "But that doesn't answer my question." Yusuke stared at him, confused as to what Hiei's purpose was, and why he would consider indulging such information when they had been at odds nearly the entire time they'd been around each other. He figured it was Hiei's way of giving Yusuke an edge on Koenma, so ultimately, he nodded.

"I'll show you," declared Hiei, moving to the curtains and opening them fully to let in the moonlight. In a dash, the lights of the room were off, and Hiei had returned to his place in front of Yusuke.

The man regarded the demon with uneasy curiosity. Chocolate grazed across a firm and oddly tattooed torso as Hiei slowly removed the top portion of his clothing. The markings crawled in the same fashion as the Black Dragon on his arm did; winding clockwise around his torso in a jagged brown mosaic pattern. It reminded the detective of leopard print. It began just below the demon's left pectoral, and ended beneath the waistline of his pants.

Yusuke stood still, swallowing large gulps of nothing as he watched Hiei's clothing fall to the floor, and then threatened to come back up as rouge-stained eyes remained unmoving and stoic upon his own. Anger slipped away when Hiei brought his hand up to loosen his pants. As the buckles from his own bizarre armory of belts came undone, the front of his pants fell into "V" from the weight, revealing a rather taut and formed pelvic muscle. The demon's disrobing ended there, though, or so Yusuke thought.

Hiei stepped forward, shortening the length between them. He was apparently unaware or perhaps even indifferent as to the awkwardness he had placed in the room; however, the detective allowed it, thinking that perhaps it would be best to let Hiei make the first move. Both he and his alternate thought processes anticipated an intimate gesture of comfort to forget the thoughts of Shizuru. That anticipation fell when Hiei took hold of the roll in the towel, and told him, "Think nothing of this," then proceeded to tug and let the covering drop to the floor.

A scent that Yusuke couldn't quite put his finger on was torn from him; the pheromones had followed Hiei as he took a step back, placing his right hand over his left breast. An event of amazing proportions took place when the demon's claws pierced into his flesh, yet left no injury. Hiei began to pull at his skin, and the tattoo that was imprinted around his torso slowly became a translucent fabric; attaching as cell-tissue where the demon hadn't pulled yet.

The long stretch of silky sienna was now curled on the floor, with one end in Hiei's palm. Gingerly trying not to trip on it, Hiei moved to Yusuke, and planted the hand with the silk firmly against Yusuke's chest.

Immediate osmosis. The man felt nothing as that first piece attached to him like a leech, and sank into his skin like he were a sponge absorbing water. Hiei held that end tightly, concentrating on the fusion of the the body to the cloth, and used his other hand to wrap it around Yusuke's abdomen, reaching just beneath that waistband without remorse to finish the application.

Exhausted, the demon nearly collapsed into Yusuke once the transition was complete. The force of the sudden stumble pushed Yusuke toward the bed, and he regained his composure as the backs of his knees pressed to the blankets. He caught Hiei just below the shoulders, and let the demon fall into his newly imprinted chest. An after-effect of bio-electric surges coursed through the man, and with deep breaths he tried to make sense of what had just happened.

Hiei lifted his head from its tumultuous toss on Yusuke's chest. He shook his head, using both the action and his energy to force the ward covering the Jagan to release itself, and looked at Yusuke with three tired eyes.

"Yusuke..." his soft voice called out as he gazed upon the man who held him with the Jagan. The visions had shown him that the belt was already taking effect.

"This?" remarked a puzzled Yusuke, removing one hand from Hiei to touch his own chest. Nothing but smooth skin greeted his fingertips. "This," he continued, "This is the belt?"

Hiei nodded slowly, and with what could have been his remaining energy, he thrust Yusuke onto the bed, and gradually crawled upon him like a feline. Careful hands brushed cautiously over Yusuke's face, dusting the detective with light sensations of pleasure.

"Do you understand now, Yusuke?" he asked, tracing his fingers from the man's jaw to his neck, "Do you understand at all?"

_"You know, we're all a little sick of your crap. You constantly act like you don't give a shit about anything or anyone."_

_"Why don't you speak for yourself, Detective. You're the only one who is "sick" of me. And you're the one who doesn't care about anything or anyone."_

_"You're wrong. That's the whole reason I agreed to do this crap for Koenma. Because I give a flying fuck about people who were close to me. What about you?"_

_"What do you mean, Yusuke?"_

_"Well, let's see... Well, you're only here because you're being punished for being a selfish brat and stealing something for yourself. Hmm. Yes. You care so much about everyone."_

_"You don't know anything; not one thing at all!"_

"I..." Yusuke trailed off, enjoying the tender caresses of Hiei.

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Questions? Comments? Confusions?** Please be sure, if you are an anonymous reviewer - to leave your e-mail address so that I can contact you.

I know that I've thrown everyone into a bit of a loop here. Sorry! Feel free to contact me if this is an issue.

Zelia


	9. Nightmare Nightclub: Act II

**Author's Note**

I know, this took forever to update. Here's what happened:

I had a lot of this chapter written long ago. Unfortunately, this was saved solely on a laptop that decided to crash and forget that it had anything installed or saved on it. I was very disheartened by this, and lost the drive to rewrite what I had. Then, here and there, I would type a paragraph or two, think I had lost the ambition, and then stopped. In the past few days, I decided to just go for it.

I am currently going through and updating my works (typos, grammar, plot-holes, whatever). Keep an eye out for those, and the occasional new story. If you spot any errors in anything new (or anything that says it was updated in 2008), let me know (be detailed, and if you have a good website that can better explain, please refer me).

Speaking of previous works – since I have the ambition back, I want to get some feedback from everyone on my stories, so head to my profile/forums and vote in two polls that I have up. Thanks!

I'd also like to thank all previous, current, and new readers. I hope you enjoy the story.

**Disclaimer:** _Yu Yu Hakusho_ © Yoshihiro Togashi. Black Suicide © Zelia Theb.

* * *

**Black Suicide**

A _Yu Yu Hakusho_ Fan-Fiction

By Zelia Theb

* * *

_The boys next case leads them to a popular club and hotel, owned by one Hiroshi Takenawa, a man Koenma suspects is actually a demon. After following an intuitive lead, Kurama finds himself talkative, tipsy, and rapidly changing into his former self. Meanwhile, drama erupts on the dance floor when Koenma announces his engagement to Yusuke's crush, Shizuru, and Kuwabara gets an accidental earful of Yusuke's past. Nearing the end of the night, Hiei reveals the location of the Royal Belt to Yusuke, and much more..._

* * *

**Nightmare Nightclub: Act II**

Hiei was tired. Despite his exhaustion from releasing the belt, he had never slept. The detective had, on the other hand, and quite well.

The long and deep breaths that had Hiei's pillow rising slow and steady transformed gradually as Yusuke came into a waking state. A gentle hand moved from the base of Hiei's spine to the back of his head, feeling the silky strands he had never gotten the chance to touch before.

Yusuke opened his eyes, surprised to find that his hands weren't deceiving him. However...

Hiei released himself from his position quickly and sat upon the edge of the bed, leaving Yusuke's nude form open to the eyes of the world. He too, sat up, but kept his distance, realizing that more intimate touches might cause the demon to flee.

His garments. Hiei bent over, retrieving his pants first, and his ward second. The detective watched carefully, still trying to decipher exactly what occurred the previous night. He remembered nothing, not even how he had gained the mysterious tattoo that crawled across his skin.

"I was too late," Hiei painfully admitted, buckling the belts at his waist. "A pathetic failure."

"Huh?" the man's only response was. Had he done something wrong? He couldn't remember, and was beginning to understand that perhaps Hiei would not give him the response he needed.

Hiei moved across the room, collecting the rest of his clothing as he made his way to the bathroom. He stepped in only to emerge a second later, and hissed, "This, Yusuke!" From his hands dangled two plastic resealable bags, both partially filled with illegal substances, one of which had been enjoyed by Yusuke moments before his shower.

Yusuke flinched as the Hiei threw the bags with immense force at the wall next to the entry, shattering a mirror and somewhat denting the wall behind it. The bags and their contents exploded, blending themselves into the dangerous mess. He stood up fast, now wrapped slightly within a sheet, and glared at Hiei for an explanation. He knew he had done wrong, but what gave Hiei the right to be so angry with him?

"You've turned me into a fool!" the demon shouted with fervor. "How could I have been so easily manipulated by you again?"

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Yusuke returned. "It's my life, I don't need you to babysit me."

A flash. Hiei was within inches of him again, eyes carrying an emotion Yusuke never remembered seeing. "It was nothing, Detective. It was nothing because I was obviously too late to stop it."

"Stop what? And what the hell does that have to do with us waking up the way we did today?" He was answered by an unusual yet deserved slap in the face.

"Nothing happened, Yusuke. _You_ passed out because you couldn't contain yourself for one second. And I was too late to stop it."

"And that makes you the fool?"

Hiei snarled viciously. "_Yes_, it does! I wasted my time getting that precious belt for you; I was even foolish enough to get caught again!"

Yusuke stopped himself. Hiei had planned this in advance...before the team had their reunion, which meant Hiei had cared for him all this time, even when Yusuke had thought he would really never see him again.

"Hiei, I'm sorry."

"Whatever." And just like that, Hiei was gone.

An overwhelming sense of failure engulfed Yusuke. His selfish actions already doomed his cause. He remembered the reason why he had agreed to do this. He thought momentarily about returning the belt to Koenma to ensure Hiei's freedom; however, that very action could put him at risk again, and would invalidate everything that Hiei had done for him.

As for what he felt about the their encounter, he couldn't say. It was hardly romantic, and he had never realized that the two of them had that sort of tension between them. Waking up that way felt amazing to him, _amazing_. It was a privilege to have the attention of Hiei. But...

It was also a privilege to have the attention of Kurama. And Keiko.

And yet, he felt no need to medicate the depression that fell upon him. In fact, the depression itself wasn't as deep as he expected it to be. This was the true power of the M'Hassir.

A knock at the door prompted him out of his thoughts. He quickly retrieved a shirt and a pair of pants, and slipped them on before answering it. Kuwabara, Botan, and a normal looking Kurama quickly stepped in, each with their luggage. Botan immediately set hers down on the floor and got down to business.

"Yusuke, we have a problem," said Botan, her dark circled eyes darting toward the broken mirror. "What happened here?"

Scratching beneath the hairs on the back of his head, Yusuke stretched and replied, "Hiei."

"I knew this was a terrible idea!" Botan exclaimed, slapping her hand to her forehead in frustration. "Well, we've got no time for that now. Look, we have to clean up and get out of here. The police are downstairs and the floors are under lock down."

"What?" asked Yusuke. "Why?"

"It appears that there was a murder last night," Kurama answered. "The body was found in the stairwell near the club's restroom."

"And the creep called the police?" Yusuke questioned. "That doesn't make a whole lotta sense for a drug dealer."

"It's a plant, Urameshi," Kuwabara said.

"What?"

Botan stepped further in, fearing that her voice would be heard through the door, and said, "Yusuke, their main suspect is Kurama, and with good reason too."

"What? That's impossible, we all came back upstairs! There's no way Kurama did it!"

"Well..." Kurama paused, frightening Yusuke the same way that Hiei had earlier.

"Well?"

"I transformed last night."

"Yeah, I was there, remember? Gray hair, stress, tails?"

"I blacked out."

"_What?_"

"Yusuke," Botan addressed him, "what he means to say is that he doesn't remember what happened last night."

"Yeah, and? Weren't you two with him?"

The truth was that they were. But they had eventually fallen asleep during their watch, that is, until they were woken up by a raucous in the room.

"And when we got up to see what was the matter, Kurama was just standin' there, starin' at the window with his hands all balled up, lookin' real pissed," Kuwabara finished. "The room was trashed."

When they called out to him, Kurama didn't seem to notice. He just stood there for several minutes, until finally, he let out a heavy sigh and collapsed on the floor, covered in sweat. They had brought him over to a bed, which wasn't an easy task as his Youko form was rather tall, and checked for signs of life. Kurama was okay. They had decided it best to pack, and when they had finished, Kurama, back to his normal human self, woke up, unaware of what had transpired.

Kuwabara had left the room to check out the hallways, trying to pass himself off as just another guest looking for a vending machine. That's when he had run into the police and some hotel staff.

"Return to your room, sir. This floor is under lock down."

"Does that mean I can't get a coffee?"

"You'll have to wait."

"Hey, I'm paying for this stay, and I want my damn coffee!"

The hotel staff broke into the conversation, and said, "Sir, it is safer in your room. Please, do as the officer says and return to your room."

"Safer? What the hell do you mean?"

"Sir, they found a body in the F stairwell. They believe the murderer is still in the building."

"Holy crap!" said Kuwabara, only slightly feigning surprise. "How come ya don't have guards walking around?" Kuwabara had made a note to rub his hands together nervously, as if he were paranoid. It had mostly been a lie, but not entirely.

"Return to your room at once," the officer had commanded him, showing how upset he was at the staff member for spilling the beans, "or I shall have you arrested as a suspect."

Kuwabara got the hint. He bowed to the men politely before turning to comply. That was when the officer warned him.

"_If you see a man with long red hair and a slender build, call the front desk immediately."_

"He could have only meant Kurama."

"Shit," Yusuke swore. "Kurama's pretty recognizable. We were definitely near the F stairwell last night."

"Precisely," said Botan.

The detective's mind turned on. This was looking worse by the second.

"They have motive, too."

"They do?" blinked Botan.

"Drunken brawl gone wrong. There were at least two people that could confirm he had been drinking." Yusuke began pacing. "One of them being the bartender, who likely knew what he was _really_ serving in those drinks. He possibly knew who he was serving them to. It'd be easy to pin on Kurama."

"You do have a point," she remarked. "This isn't good."

"And, to top it off, they know exactly where to look, too. Kurama had a tab going, billed to the room." Kurama's face felt hot; how could he have been so negligent?

"But why didn't they just come straight to our rooms then, huh Urameshi? They prolly woulda had more police by the exits." Kuwabara was hoping that he was right; it would certainly make things a lot easier.

"They were probably waiting for back up." Yusuke didn't like the sound of the words leaving his mouth. He bent down and began to pack up his own things, forgetting that he had a wad of disfigured evidence for his own crime laying so close to his friends.

"And," he said, closing his bag, "if they had any video cameras, they saw Kurama go back there, but they sure as hell didn't see him exit."

"They saw me as Youko" Kurama stated. "If they saw me at all."

"But any eyewitnesses would not have seen that head of red hair. Kurama, you were half gray when I-"

Footsteps. Knocking. Words. More footsteps.

"Shit, we gotta get outta here." Yusuke ran to the window. No cops directly below them, but a few at the corner. He could hear sirens growing. Back-up. He looked up. He looked down. Either way was suspicious. Then he looked across the street.

"Bingo," Botan said. "Come on boys."

A smile crossed the detective's face. "Let's hope that thing can seat four."

"Extra trunk space, too!" She joked, revealing her oar. "Grab your bags!"

* * *

"They may look here next, Botan," said Kurama. "We should relocate."

The team had moved to the building across the street from the club, parking themselves behind the exit on the roof for cover. Kuwabara was on watch, his head occasionally peaking around the corner to make sure it was still safe. Yusuke was slumped against the wall, with Kurama and Botan next to him.

"Nonsense! We have a case to work on!" she replied, opening up her briefcase and switching on the laptop inside.

Kurama was still worried. "Botan, I may have murdered someone."

"You absolutely did not! I am sure of it!" She pressed a few keys on the laptop.

"What are you doing, Botan?" yawned Yusuke, drained from the M'Hassir.

"I forgot that I had placed a Spirit World Surveillance Bugs in our rooms. As long as the one in our room wasn't destroyed, at least not until after the ordeal, we can see if Kurama ever left the room last night."

"Spirit World Surveillance Bugs?" asked Yusuke. His attention had perked at their mention; he was hoping that she wouldn't accidentally reveal any footage from his room.

Botan reached into her luggage and pulled out...nothing. Until she opened her hand.

"Ugh! Flies?" Kuwabara yelped.

"They're actually robots, the latest in Spirit World technology!" she explained with a smile. "You just put them on a wall, and they can see just about everything around them. Neat, aren't they?" Pressing another key, she said, "Bingo. I'll adjust the speed so we aren't sitting here for hours."

After a few minutes, Kurama pointed at the screen. "Stop."

"What? What do you see?" she asked.

"A shadow, in the window."

"Good eye Kurama," Yusuke remarked.

The four sat quietly, watching the footage. The shadow first became a claw, then an arm, and then a gruesome and gaunt demon with long red fur growing from its head to the middle of its back. Its ragged lips pursed like a fish, and then spit out a powder that seemed to vanish as soon as it appeared.

"A sleeping powder, of course!" said Kurama, shifting on the gravel beneath him. "No wonder neither of you detected anything."

The skeletal claw gripped to the curtain rod above, tearing it from the wall, and then stripped it of its garments. The creature then moved toward Botan, its new weapon raised high above its head, and went to strike. Before the blow could land, a flash of silver and snow grabbed its arm and threw it across the room, breaking a table. The demon charged back, only to be grabbed at the throat by Kurama, and tossed to the side like a rag doll. The fighting went on like this for several moments, until finally, it looked as if Kurama had broken the creature's arm, and it fled.

Then Kurama just stood.

"Uh, Kurama?" asked Kuwabara. "If that was sleeping powder, how come we're gonna wake up soon and find you?"

"I'm not certain," the fox answered, eyes fixated on himself. "This demon was of the Morpheus clan. The effects can last for two hours at the lowest dose. Perhaps this demon wasn't seasoned enough yet."

And still he stood.

"Come on, anytime now," muttered Yusuke.

"Kuwabara," said Botan, "do you see the clock?" She pointed to the lower right of the screen.

"Whoa." He blinked. "We don't get up for another two hours." The attacker wasn't a rookie after all.

The four were silent for a moment. Yusuke was the first to speak.

"Speed it up again."

Kurama stood, and stood, and stood. Unwavering, for two hours. A painting on the wall could take it no more, and crashed to the floor, causing Botan and Kuwabara to stir. The rest of the footage confirmed their earlier story.

"Thank goodness," uttered a relieved Kurama. "They surely will find the mess. Is it possible they will find the bugs?"

"It's possible," answered the ferry woman, "but we have a contingency plan." She closed the footage on the screen and opened up a separate program. The screen read, "Self Destruct." After hovering a finger over another key, she dramatically dropped it down, and announced, "There, we're all set!"

Yusuke yawned again, before asking, "Botan, who else has this footage?"

"Just me, I suppose. I still have to upload it to Spirit World."

"Don't upload the stuff taken from my room."

"Why not?" Her tone was serious and cold.

Yusuke was at a loss for words. What could he say? He had used off-camera, but Hiei openly spoke about it later. He was almost certain that something had at least _almost_ happened, and that something was not for Koenma, nor anyone else, to see.

Not to mention that it revealed the location of the belt.

"Yusuke?"

"Please, Botan?"

She stared at him, eyes stern and searching for a reason to go against Spirit World policy. She found it.

"Alright."

"Really?"

"I promise."

"Thanks."

_Ring ring._ Koenma flashed on the screen. Takenawa was dead. He was calling them back.

* * *

The four reconvened at the first hotel. Long locks of red fell to the floor, coiling upon themselves like snakes. Botan had undertaken the task of cutting Kurama's hair, in an attempt to thwart suspicion. They were seated before the laptop, talking about Takenawa's murder with Koenma. Yusuke and Kuwabara had resigned themselves to watching the news, hoping to catch the media's version of the murder.

"_You were right, Kurama. It appears that this demon was from the Morpheus clan. We're trying to get a match on the face so that we can identify him."_

"The question is, why Takenawa?"

"Do you want me to razor it?" Botan asked Kurama, interrupting.

"No!" the redhead replied, losing his cool. "I absolutely will not have a buzz cut."

"I'm not going to shave your head, silly!" she informed him. "I'm asking if you want the rest of it layered and blended. To 'razor' means to do that, with a razor."

"Oh, then that's alright."

A throat was cleared. Koenma didn't have time to play salon with them.

"_He was connected with Black Suicide, somehow. We have two problems at play here. First, we had no idea Takenawa's time was up. Second, it seemed like this was our final lead. We were certain that Takenawa would lead us to our dealer."_

Though irate with Koenma, this caught Yusuke's attention. He felt like he had all of the focus in the world at that moment.

"Turf wars," he said, standing to his allies' right. "The drug was in beta, and was about to officially come out onto the black market. Sounds like this Morpheus clan wanted control over it." He rubbed at his chin; he needed a razor himself. "But you could probably ask Takenawa all of these questions, right?"

"_We can't find him."_

"Seems you can't find much these days," Yusuke snickered, thinking of the belt he now wore.

"_If you wish to speak to me Yusuke, we can talk man to man after the case, for now-"_

"Man to man? Weren't you a baby for...I dunno, centuries? Now you've suddenly shed that skin, and you can get married?"

"Yusuke!" Botan hissed, nearly missing Kurama's ear with her blade.

"Whatever, I'm going out to get lunch." He had wanted to say that he was going out for a smoke, but the urge to inhale simply wasn't there. Either way, he had already caused a scene, and it was best to get away from them for a while.

Koenma continued over the slamming of the door, saying that Yusuke, despite his callous attitude, was most likely on the right track. He said that Spirit World would try and locate members of the Morpheus clan operating in the city. The group was to take it easy and stay out of trouble in the meantime. Kurama was told to be extra careful. Spirit World would try to eliminate the suspicion surrounding him, but in the meantime, the haircut would help. Hiei was never brought up in the conversation.

No one had mentioned that he had left.

Botan finished the haircut as the communication ended. As she dusted the stray hairs off of Kurama's shoulders, Kuwabara turned off the television. He had some questions for her.

"What's gonna happen with Shizuru?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, is she gonna live in Spirit World now? Am I ever gonna see her again?"

"Oh, you'll be able to see her. You may even get an invitation to live in the palace."

That shocked him. He enjoyed his life in Japan.

"But what happens when she gets all old, and stuff?"

"She won't grow old, Kuwabara." Giving up on her task of cleaning off Kurama, she briefly said, "Sorry, you're still covered."

"Quite alright. A shower might do the trick." The fox then excused himself from the discussion.

"She'll be immortal?" the tallest continued.

"In the way that I am, I suppose." Botan held a finger to her lips in thought. "Were someone to murder her, we'd have a problem. But she would no longer age or be vulnerable to illness." She looked to the side despondently. "I'm worried about Yusuke."

"I'm not." Kuwabara sensed Botan's confusion, and explained, "He seems different today. It's like, I can't feel his emotions the way that I could last night or the days before, but not in a bad way." He shrugged. "It's not like he's trying to cover 'em. They just aren't there like they were before. He doesn't feel 'em."

Botan's eyes widened slightly. "Do you think it has something to do with Hiei?"

"I dunno, maybe."

The woman shook her head and let out a frustrated sigh. "I shouldn't have deleted that footage." Quickly, she moved to the laptop, and brought it into her room. Kuwabara followed closely behind, though uninvited. She sat on the mattress, a glow from the screen illuminating her face.

"Hey, you promised him!" Kuwabara reminded her.

"I'm not going to upload it," she assured him. "I just want to see what he was hiding."

"But you said you deleted it!"

Her face didn't move from the screen. "I can go into the recycle bin and restore it."

Kuwabara sat beside her, ashamed that he wanted to pry as well. He asked, "What do you think he's hiding?" Quieter, he followed up with, "Drugs?"

"Maybe," she replied.

"Wait." Kuwabara put a hand on the laptop and slightly closed it. "Are we sure we want to see this?"

"No," she stated with honesty, "but I'm worried and you're not. There is something going on here." She made an attempt to move the man's hand, but was stopped.

"Wait," he reiterated. "You an' I gotta make a pinky promise. We can't tell Koenma anything we might find out from here. That'd break your promise to Yusuke." He held out a pinky to her. "Do you promise?"

She returned her own finger, and said, "I promise."

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note**

If you have any specific questions, please be detailed in your review so that I may properly respond. Thanks for reading!


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